the First
by off2neverland
Summary: Sophie Pierce's world is turned upside down when she discovers she is the first. Now, she doesn't know who she can trust. The man with the stunning green eyes? The mysterious, charming pirate? Her best friend? Neverland has changed since she's been gone, not that she remembers it, and a new evil is brewing. I own nothing but my OCs. Please review, follow, and favorite! :)
1. Prologue and the Shadow

**Prologue**

Finally, the screen goes black. I look over at Luke, he's passed out. Mouth open, double chin, the whole thing. His light blonde hair is disheveled, and his tall six foot three frame is curled onto the corner of the couch.

Luke is my best friend, but we spend so much time together a lot of people assume we're dating. If he hadn't been my best friend since the third grade I probably would be. Generally speaking, he's pretty attractive, and could fit into the popular crowd if he wanted to. But, he's as smart as I am, we spend a lot of our nights studying for AP exams. Also, he doesn't have a thing for girls with a few pounds of makeup on their face, unlike most guys at our school.

Why is it that I always end up staying awake until the end of the movies he picks out? I dig around for my phone and quickly turn back to him. Turning the flash on, I snap at least three pictures. He's gotten enough bad pictures of me that I don't feel any guilt. Trying as hard as I can not to laugh, I put my phone down and grab the whipped cream off of the coffee table in front of me. I open the can and shake it, and spray as much as I can into his mouth. Good thing he's a heavy sleeper. I take a few more pictures. Okay, now I feel kind of bad.

"Luke..." I softly say into his ear. Nothing. I tap his nose. Nothing. Not even a twitch. He looks hilarious, passed out on my basement couch, mouth full of whipped cream.

"Luke." I say it a little louder.

I tap his arm. Nothing. I grab my phone, and press record.

"Luke Jackson. You just made me waste my Saturday night suffering through Peter Pan. Get your ass up or I will get it up for you."

He wakes up then, and chokes on the whipped cream. He coughs and swallows at the same time, some of it gets sprayed into the room. The rest disappears down his throat. I'm hysteric with laughter, I caught it all on tape. Whipped cream is his favorite guilty pleasure, so he's not mad as he coughs again.

He looks at me, a teasing tone in his angry voice, "What was that for?"

"You made me watch a Disney movie at the age of eighteen, and you fell asleep! I felt it only right to get revenge."

He punches my arm, "Not eighteen yet!" he yawns, "What time is it?"

I stop recording and glance at the clock on the wall, "Two thirty six in the A.M. Ouch."

He sighs, "Can I crash here?"

I smile, "Of course. I'm going to get ready for bed, you stay here."

"I'll text my mom."

"Okay."

I walk out of the room, and into my bedroom. I open my closet and select a tank top and shorts, and walk into my bathroom. I yank my hair into a ponytail, change out of my clothes, and brush my teeth. I walk back into the living room, where Luke has made us a bed on the floor. He's standing at the glass door, staring out into the night.

"Are the stars out?" I ask.

He whips around, the look of a child being caught with his hand in the cookie jar crosses his face before he covers it with a grin.

"Ta-da!" He gestures at the floor, proud of his work.

I roll my eyes with a grin and walk over to my side, right, as usual. He climbs in on left, and I get under the covers, too.

"Not it!" I shout.

"Dammit!"

He uncovers himself, gets up, and walks over to the wall, flicking the lights off. I hear his feet pad over the carpet, and he climbs back into "bed".

"Goodnight." he says.

"Goodnight." I reply.

The room falls silent. I try to fall asleep, and can't. Soon, I hear his breathing even out, and he's asleep. Another positive about Luke, he doesn't snore. I turn onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. I close my eyes and wait for sleep, listening to Luke's breathing. I can feel it coming, I'm getting tired. I almost consider counting sheep.

A massive bang sounds through the room, I gasp and sit up loud enough to wake Luke up and send him to me. He wraps his arms around me protectively.

"What was that?" he asks, peering into my face.

I'm just as scared as he is, "It sounded like something big smacked into the door."

A look of manic excitement crosses his face and he lets go of me and stands. Walking, more like running, to the wall, he flicks the light switch and whirls towards the window.

With the light, the window is illuminated. There's nothing there. He creeps closer, I stay huddled under my blankets. He reaches the window and peers through, and turns back to me, an odd look of disappointment on his face, "There's nothing there."

"Are you sure?" I ask.

He nods, "Yeah, pretty sure. It's all dark out there."

"Will you turn on the porch light?"

"Sure."

He walks over to the sliding glass door and flicks the switch, and the light outside the door clicks on, washing over the porch. Being able to see what was happening outside is a great comfort.

"Thanks." I smile up at him.

He smiles back, "Let's go back to bed."

"Okay."

He walks back over to the wall and flicks the switch, the lights in the room go dark. The only light left in the room is from the glow outside. I close my eyes and try to sleep, thinking happy thoughts and taking deep breaths. After that attempt fails, I roll onto my side and watch the backyard through the glass door. A few bugs flit by the porch light, but nothing happens. Maybe the noise was just a bird or a bug or something. I'm about to close my eyes when something moves on the far right corner of the glass door, and then a shadow suspiciously in the shape of a man passes by the window incredibly fast. I gasp and sit up, Luke doesn't awaken. Okay, now I'm imagining things. I'm just being paranoid.

**Chapter One: the Shadow**

I get out of our makeshift bed and walk quickly over to the glass door, peering out towards where the shadow went. There's nothing, the vegetable garden is empty and there's nothing in the bushes. Did it go around to the side of the house? I glance back at Luke, he's sound asleep. Taking a deep breath, I unlock the door and slide it open. A gust of summer air blows into the room, I step out into the warm Colorado night and slide the door shut behind me as quietly as I can. My bare feet touch the stone slabs of the bottom deck, and the light breeze lifts my long blonde hair from the back of my neck. It's actually a nice evening, not too hot or too cold. There is no noise from Knight, so I assume he's asleep. I tiptoe over the stone onto the rougher rocks on the side of the house. Carefully peering around the corner, I see nothing. Some piles of rocks, but nothing too out of the ordinary. I'm about to turn away and go back inside when I notice a larger pile of rocks in the middle of the hill.

And then it moves.

Oh my god, it's a person! I approach cautiously, ignoring the pain as a few rocks slice my feet. I crouch next to the man, his eyes are closed and he's lying on his back, breathing hard. In the moonlight, I can tell he has amazing chestnut brown hair with light tints of red, and he's tall and muscular. He looks like he's my age, maybe older. He's actually pretty hot…

I place my hand on his arm, "Are you okay?" panic leaks into my voice.

His eyes snap open, a brilliant green, and lock with my honey brown ones. He inhales sharply and pulls his arm away from my touch and towards his right side, and then I notice what he's wearing. Nothing like a normal guy would wear, light brown pants and a white top, like something straight out of a pirate movie. He has black leather boots that reach his mid calf, and his shirt is stained with blood. Lots and lots of blood. I gasp and stare at his shirt, unable to move for a moment. His breathing becomes faster and he grips his side tightly.

I take another deep breath and reach down to grasp the hem of his shirt, careful not to touch his wound. I slowly pull it up and over his head, and his wound comes into view.

"Oh my god. You've been shot!"

He then speaks for the first time, even through the pain I can tell his voice is smooth and sweet.

"I'm aware."

"What happened?" I ask curiously, worry still lacing my voice.

"Nothing. Hand me that bag, will you?"

Bullshit answer, but I'll let it slide. His voice has become stronger and more defined. He's incredibly handsome. I look over to where he gestured, and notice a small brown sack tied with a weathered piece of white string. I reach over and grab it, it's the size of a tennis ball and feels about the same weight. I can feel small grains of something inside. I place it in his outstretched hand. He undoes the string, and reaches inside to grab whatever is in the bag. He withdraws a pinch of a sparkling white sand, and sprinkles it onto his injury. The effect is almost immediate. He sighs in relief, and the sand glows a little as it seems to sink into his bullet wound. Before my eyes, the sand heals it to as good as new. All he's left with is a few bloodstains on his stomach.

I am literally about to faint. What the HELL is happening? "Um, here. Let me go get you a new shirt. Wait here, okay?"

He gives me an odd look, "Alright."

I gingerly pick up his bloodstained shirt and walk back over the rocks to the deck. Delicately sliding the glass door open, I walk back into the living room. Luke is still sound asleep. I allow myself to have a small freak out moment. A very hot guy was shot and dying on the side of my house, and a sparkling white sand just healed it? What? I didn't see anyone else in the area, who shot him? Is he a criminal? I tiptoe across the carpet and deposit the ruined shirt onto the coffee table. I continue walking to the guest bedroom, where I cross to the wardrobe on the far wall. I open it and grab one of my grandfather's old shirts, and walk back out into the summer night.

"Okay, here. This should fit." I look up, and nothing is there. He's gone without a trace. There are no bloodstains or remnants of white sand, just rocks. There is no way I imagined all of that!

"Hello?"

Nothing. Just the breeze moving through the trees and bushes. I sigh and turn back to the house, shirt still in hand, and slide open the door. Stepping into the room, I turn and lock the door behind me. I walk to the guest bedroom and deposit Grandfather's shirt, and walk back to the living room. The man's bloodstained shirt is still on the coffee table. What am I going to do with this? It's still wet with blood. I pick it up and walk back to my room, and slide open my closet. Selecting an empty hanger, I hang the shirt and place it in the back of my closet. With any luck, no one will find it. I walk back out of my closet and slide the door shut behind me. Walking back into the living room, I tiptoe over to the bed. As quietly as possible, I climb under the covers and get comfortable right as Luke wakes up. Thank God. He shifts a little, and I can feel his eyes on me. I try as hard as I can to maintain the look of someone dead. Satisfied that I'm still asleep, he turns away and doesn't move again. I don't trust myself to move for a few minutes, and before I know it, I drift off into sleep.


	2. Knight in Shining Armor

**Chapter Two: Knight in Shining Armor**

I awake to sunlight streaming into the living room, and arms wrapped around me. I cuddle into the warmth, until I realize who it is. It's Luke, and I'm his human teddy bear. Great. Last night's events come crashing back down on me, and I gently wiggle out of his arms. He doesn't wake up. Padding out of the living room and into my bedroom, I walk into my closet and turn on the light. Walking to the back, I slide my clothes aside until I get to the final piece of clothing, the shirt. It's just like it looked last night, but the blood has dried. So it wasn't a dream. I back out of the closet and slide the door shut behind me. I then become aware of the dull pain in my feet. Crossing to my bed, I sit down and pull my left foot up to look at it. There's nothing there. It felt like I was getting cut by them last night, but I guess they weren't deep enough to bleed. I pull up my right, nothing. Why do they hurt, then? Are they bruised and I just can't see it?

I'm not going to tell anyone about last night for now. I sigh and walk back out of my room, my feet starting to ache a little more. Luke is still sound asleep, so I decide to go investigate the side of the house while the sun is shining. I pad over to the glass door, and unlock it. Sliding it open gently, I walk out into the incredibly hot summer day. It was at least ninety degrees out, but there was a light breeze. I walk around to the side of the house and peer around the corner, there's nothing there. I creep a little closer, the pain in my feet becoming a little more intense. I walk to the spot where he was lying last night, and there's nothing there. Not one drop of blood, and no sand. If I didn't have the shirt, I would swear I dreamed the whole thing! This was flat out weird. I turn and walk back into the house, where Luke is still sleeping. I grab my pillow and thump him as hard as I can. He wakes up slowly with a stretch and a groan, and smiles sleepily up at me.

"Morning, sunshine."

I roll my eyes and throw my pillow at him, "Morning."

He laughs and flops back down onto the pillows. I walk to my room and select the day's outfit: a long sleeved plaid button up, tied into a crop top, and white washed short shorts. I walk back out and find Luke looking out the glass door again.

"So," I start, he whirls to look at me, something flashes across his face but it goes too quickly for me to read it.

"Where do you want to go for breakfast?" I ask, I decide to let it go, he's just looking outside.

"Um," his playful demeanor returned, "I picked last time, so it's your turn. Choose wisely. It's the last Sunday of our summer."

I grin, "How about O'Brien's?"

"I knew you were going to say that!" He shouts in triumph.

"This is your fault! You decided to take me there!" I yell back with a grin lighting up my face.

"And we need to check up on Knight." I add.

He sighs with a smile, "Get showered and we can go then." He ruffles my hair as he walks past, a spark in his light blue eyes.

"Yes, Mother." I respond. He chuckles and sits on the couch, pulling out his phone. I walk to my bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind me. I start the water and strip, and hop in. I shampoo and condition my hair, and shave. I let the warm water run down my body and wash away last night's weird events. I'm going to try and forget all of it. School is starting tomorrow, there's no reason for beginning my senior year on a bad note. And, my eighteenth birthday is in a few weeks! It's actually during homecoming week, which makes it a little depressing because no one really remembers it, but I'm turning eighteen all the same.

I stop the water and grab a fluffy towel off of the hook. After drying off, I pull on my clothes. Hanging up my towel, I run a brush through my hair, put on some makeup, and brush my teeth. I walk back out of the bathroom and enter the living room, and grab my pair of muck boots from their plastic mat by the door. I turn and find Luke sitting on the couch, tapping on his phone.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Yeah." he says, without looking up.

I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his neck, resting my chin on the top of his head. He quickly closes whatever it was he had open, it looked like he had been texting someone. He wriggles out of my loose grip and stands, shooting me an odd grin.

"Let's go."

"Um, okay."

He starts walking to the glass door and I follow, he unlocks it and slides it open. We emerge from the basement, I close the door behind me. We walk out from underneath the top deck and start towards the barn. Knight has already come out to say hello. He's a huge horse, I'm five foot nine so he needs to be big. He's all black, with dark brown eyes and a white star on his forehead. Knight In Shining Armor is his full name, but it's Knight for short.

He whinnies when he sees me, I walk closer and reach up to pull him in for a kiss on the nose. I rub his neck a little before walking to the barn and putting in the code on the lock. I tug and it clicks open, and I slide the massive barn door open. I step onto the concrete floor inside the barn, Luke follows me in. Knight comes inside from his outdoor pen, and he gently nudges the bars of his gate. I go to the opposite end of the barn, where his pile of hay is located. I grab a handful and walk back to his stall, I open the feed door and toss the hay through, where it lands inside his food trough. He gratefully starts munching, and I latch the feed door. Luke has taken up a spot on the wall, he enjoys watching me work. Even in a bad mood he takes up his usual habits.

I cross to the tack room and open the door, flicking on the lights. I bend down and pick up his grooming bucket, full of brushes, picks and other utensils. I carry it back to Knight's stall, where I open the main door and step inside, closing it behind me. He doesn't flinch, he continues to chow down on his breakfast. I place the bucket on the floor, and select a brush. I clean off the night's dirt as he eats contentedly. Luke is silent, saying nothing as he continues to watch me groom Knight. I stand back to admire my work. Perfect. His stall and outdoor pen are clean, I mucked yesterday. I go outside and check his water trough, it's full. My work here is done! After breakfast I'll drop Luke at his house and then I'll give Knight a little exercise. As if he knows I'm thinking of him, he comes walking out of his stall and to me, expecting a little petting. I give in, I stroke his back and face.

"Good boy."

I loop my arm underneath his head, leading him back inside. I grab the grooming bucket and leave him in his stall as I open and close the gate. Luke is right where I left him, staring into space. I'm not going to even try to guess what he's thinking. I walk into the tack room and replace his grooming bucket with a halter and lead rope. I put it on him and lead him to the large pasture on the right of the barn. I slide open the massive gate and undo his halter. He's off like a shot, galloping across the pasture as fast as he can. I turn and enter the barn, Luke hasn't moved. I select his treat bowl from off of the shelf, and choose the biggest one I can find. I made these myself, they're a big yummy ball of molasses, oats, and apples. Knight absolutely adores them.

I flick off the light in the tack room and exit, closing the door behind me. I go back to the pasture and enter, Knight is waiting for me. He knows what I have in my hand before I even show it to him. He walks forward eagerly, ears at attention. I smile and present it to him, he greedily takes it from my hand and it's down his throat in two seconds flat. His eyes ask for more but instead, I pull him in for a hug, wrapping my arms around his neck. He bends his head around my shoulders, and we stay like that for a while. I love his hugs. I pull away and kiss the star on his forehead.

"Ready?" Luke asks, coming out of the barn and locking the door behind him.

"Yep." I respond.

I exit the pasture and turn back to Knight.

"Love you!"

He tosses his head in response.


	3. Breakfast

**Chapter Three: Breakfast**

Luke leads the way towards the basement and I follow. He slides open the door and we enter, I slide it shut behind me. I replace my muck boots with a pair of black flip flops, and come back into the living room. Without a word he starts walking towards the stairs to the main level, I grab my phone and purse and follow. Something was wrong, and I had no clue as to what it could be. Did I do something? Say something? Does he know about last night? We reach the top of the stairs and are greeted with the smell of Mom's cooking.

"Morning, Ms. Pierce." Luke says, a smile plastered onto his face.

My mom smiles back at him, "Morning, Luke! How'd you guys sleep?"

"Fine, thanks." I mumble, not in the best of moods.

Her soft green eyes lock on mine for a moment, and then go back to Luke. My mom has the prettiest eyes, light green mixed with blue, kind of like the sea on a sunny day. Her hair is similar to mine, long and blonde.

"Off to breakfast, then?" she asks.

"Yep, O'Brien's." Luke responds.

"Yum! Have fun." Mom smiles and turns back to whatever is on the stovetop, and we turn to leave. His happy facade is dropped, he simply walks by and goes to the front door, which he opens for me.

"Thanks." I say.

"Sure." he responds, there's something in his voice I can't place. He sounds annoyed.

I go out the door and through the grass, I hear the door close behind me. Fishing in my purse for my keys, I find them and unlock my white Ford F150. I only bought the big truck to pull Knight's trailer, but I soon fell in love with it. I climb in on the driver's side, and Luke gets in on the passenger's side. I start the car and I pull out of the driveway, I'm planning on confronting him.

We pull out of my neighborhood, in an incredibly awkward silence. Finally, I snap.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I ask angrily.

I keep my eyes on the road but I feel his burn into me.

"What do you mean?" he responds, his voice a condescending, infuriating calm.

"Cut the crap. I keep catching you staring out the window, you won't let me see who you're texting, and now I'm getting the silent treatment? Is there something wrong?"

"No, there's nothing wrong."

His tone says otherwise. It doesn't feel like he's mad at me, almost like he's mad at someone else. My instincts are almost always spot-on with him.

"But you would tell me, right? You're my best friend, Luke. We're supposed to tell each other everything."

"I would tell you if there was something to tell. But, there isn't. So let's drop it."

Those last few words are infused with malice. He's definitely upset about something, but he's not talking.

"Fine."

The road soon leads us down a hill and into the trees, we drive in silence. It seems we are all alone as we drive down the deserted road, surrounded by beautiful pine trees that stretch to the clear blue sky. I wind through the twist and turns, and we emerge on the other side. Driving past horse ranches and other large properties, I glance at Luke. He's staring out the window, not that I'm surprised, looking up at the fluffy, white clouds.

We've had little fights before, but at least five minutes after one we would be honest about what we felt went wrong and we would move on with our lives. So right now, I'm just waiting for Luke's explanation. Which is clearly not coming any time soon. I'm not going to push him, he'll tell me what's up when he wants to.

We pull into the parking lot of O'Brien's, empty as always. O'Brien's is the literal definition of "hole in the wall", it shares a parking lot with a gas station, and the building is run down enough to be called abandoned. On the inside, however, the diner screams cozy. It only has about twenty tables, most for groups of four. An older couple sits in the back by a window, and a husband, wife, and two young children occupy a table in the middle. The woman at the counter turns when she hears the sound of the old bell.

Her face lights up in a smile, "Sophie! Sit wherever you want, I'll be there in a few."

"Okay!" I grin and lead Luke to my favorite table, tucked back in the corner of the restaurant.

As soon as we sit down, Rose comes to us with two menus. She sets them in front of us.

"Can I start you off with something to drink?"

I smile up at her, "Could I do a chai latte, please?"

She nods and turns to look at Luke.

"I'll do a shot of espresso."

"I'll have that right out and I'll be back for your order!"

"Thanks, Rose."

She smiles at us and walks to the counter to make our drinks. I love this place for their simple orders, nothing like Starbucks. Luke says nothing, he stares down at his hands. I decide to let him break the silence, and choose to stare at the menu. At that moment, I see movement out of the corner of my eye. I look up to see that an incredibly nice car has pulled into the parking lot, not the type you would see at a diner in the middle of no where. It's more like a car you would find in the garage of a house in Beverley Hills. A man steps out of the car, his chestnut brown hair shines in the sun. He's dressed in dark jeans, a white shirt, and a black leather jacket to show off his arms. It's nothing like what he was wearing last night, but he still looks sharp. He steps inside and the bell rings, drawing Luke's attention from his lap. The man pulls off his aviators to reveal the stunningly green eyes that found mine on the side of my house last night, as he lay dying.

_**aaaaaaaaaand it's a cliffhanger! alrighty so chapter four is pretty interesting, we get Pan and Luke face to face (which does not end well)... also Luke is having a pretty bad mood swing haha just wait and see what happens, so excited for you guys to read it! enjoy enjoy, and I'll see ya next chapter ;P**_


	4. a Second Encounter

**Chapter Four: a Second Encounter**

Our eyes lock, and he smiles at me. He actually has the nerve to smile. A million questions explode into my head. Why did you leave? Why were you shot? How did you heal a bullet wound with sparkly sand?

Rose emerges from behind the counter, our drinks on the tray in her hand.

"I'll be right with you!" she says, smiling at him as she walks by.

His voice fills the empty diner, "Thanks."

Luke makes a choking noise as Rose makes her way to us. She sets our drinks down. I can't break my gaze from his. He looks friendly, awed, and suspicious all at the same time. Is that even possible? I guess so, because here it is displayed in the most gorgeous emerald eyes I've ever seen. Rose snaps me out of my reverie.

"Are you ready to order?"

I tear my eyes away from his, and smile up at her, "Um, sure. We're both going to have a cinnamon roll, and could I get a plate of fruit, and a side of scrambled eggs?"

"Of course."

She scribbles down my order, and turns to Luke. I stare down at my menu, not daring to look up at the guy. I can feel his eyes on me.

"I'm going to do the Mexican breakfast burrito, and a side of French toast, please."

She writes down his order and smiles at us, "I'll have that out in a few minutes!"

She grabs our menus and walks away, I watch her go. I can still feel his eyes on me, but I decide to ignore him. She goes into the kitchen, probably to tell the chef our orders, and returns to greet the man.

"What can I do for you?"

"I'm hoping to get a loaf of pumpkin bread, actually. My mother loves this place and can't go a day without your bread."

Luke coughs, I turn to see he's also watching the conversation. There's something in his eyes I can't place, but he looks furious.

Rose smiles, "We have some fresh baked loaves in the back, I'll go check. Give me a minute!"

"Take your time." he responds, a charming grin on his face.

I turn away just as he looks back at us. I can again feel his bright eyes on me. I take a sip of my latte and drum my fingers on the table.

Rose returns, with a loaf of pumpkin bread in hand.

"Here you go! That'll be five bucks."

He digs in his jeans for his wallet, and pulls out a twenty.

"Keep the change." he says with a smirk.

Grabbing the loaf of pumpkin bread, he sends one last glance to me and Luke, and exits the diner.

Luke shoots out of the booth and strides towards the door, throwing it open and following the man to his car. Horrified, I watch through the window as Luke storms to the man and starts yelling at him. I wish I could hear what he's saying, but I can't make it out. The guy gets upset too, and they both start to yell at each other. Luke points inside the diner at me, and yells at him a little more. What was going on? The guy gets in his car, slams the door, and speeds off.

Luke comes back inside as cool as a cucumber, despite the looks he gets from the older couple. He slides back into the booth and resumes the silent treatment towards me.

"What the hell was that?" I ask, trying to keep my voice quiet.

"Nothing of your concern." he responds, and looks away.

This was ridiculous! I'm about to raise my voice a little when Rose returns with our cinnamon rolls.

"Here you go! The rest of your meal will be out soon."

I sigh and look away from him, "Thanks."

She smiles and walks away. Luke tears into his cinnamon roll, I nibble on mine. I've kind of lost my appetite. But I polish it off, O'Brien's cinnamon rolls are amazing and hard to pass up. Luke's is long gone. At least in the midst of being a complete jerk he can eat like himself. I trace the patterns on the wooden table, and we sit in silence. Does Luke know that guy? Or was he just yelling at him for looking at me? Luke is incredibly over protective sometimes, so maybe that's it. I'm so lost right now. I wish he would talk to me! I gulp down the rest of my latte, and set my cup back onto the plate. It warms my throat as it goes down. The older couple pays and exits, the bell announces their departure. Rose enters just in time to wish them a nice day, and she deposits our food on the table. She picks up our cinnamon roll plates, my latte plate, and smiles at me.

"Can I get you anything else today?"

"I think we're good. Thank you."

"You're welcome!"

She turns and walks away, and I dig in to my scrambled eggs. Luke munches down on his breakfast burrito, and before I know it he's moved on to his French toast. I finish my eggs and turn to the fruit, stabbing each piece with a vengeance and popping it into my mouth.

_Stab._

_Chew._

_Swallow._

_Stab._

_Chew._

_Swallow._

I flag down Rose and she brings our check. Luke snatches it before I can even reach out, looks like he's paying for this one. He stuffs a few bills inside and stands.

"Ready?"

"Sure."

We walk to the front of the diner, where Rose is waiting.

"Have a good day, guys."

"You too!" I respond, a smile plastered on my face.

Luke opens the door and holds it for me.

"Thanks." I say.

This time, he says nothing. It looks like that shouting match made his mood worse. I dig inside my purse for my keys, and I unlock the truck. Climbing inside, Luke follows suit and I start it up. I back out of the spot and pull onto the main road. I mentally prepare myself for another long drive in silence. Great.

_**so, Luke's being a dick. what do you think is up with him? ;P also, we have the beginnings of a new character next chapter, I'M SO EXCITED! chapter five is pretty low key, we find out what's up with Sophie's dad, and we see a little more of Knight. now that I'm writing more, his relevance may not come in for quite a few more chapters, but I promise that he is most definitely a part of the story. hope you enjoyed, please review, favorite, and follow! :)**_


	5. Home

**Chapter Five: Home**

I cruise back the way we came, a little faster than I should be going. I glance at him, he's staring out the window again. What was going on? This was incredibly unusual behavior for him. I'm not going to say anything, I'm going to leave him alone. I need to focus on going into senior year with a smile, not focusing on Luke. If he wants to be a jerk than I'll let him, but he can't drag me down with him. I reset my posture and lift my head, with my promise to myself I feel a little better. I'm going to go home and do Knight's obstacle course, he always helps to improve my mood. I whip past the turn to my house, and cruise down the Main Street of our town. Luke shifts in his seat, he knows I'm taking him home. I'd rather not hang out with him today. I turn into his neighborhood and drive past the elementary school where we met. Pulling into his driveway, I unlock the doors and sit back, I'm not going to say anything. We sit in silence for a second, and he breaks it.

His voice sounds sad and apologetic, "It's not you that I'm mad at."

He gets out of the car and shuts the door before I even have a chance to respond. He yanks his front door and steps inside without a backwards glance. I sit in stunned silence for a second before I lock the doors and pull out of his driveway.

The drive home is short, we only live ten minutes from his house, but it goes by even faster. I can't wrap my head around what could be going on with him. First it was staring out the windows, then he wouldn't let me see who he was texting, and then he explodes in the face of the guy who lay dying on the side of my house the night before! Life had suddenly gotten incredibly weird. I'm not going to tell anyone what's going on yet, as much as I want to. I'll keep it to myself until there comes a time when it's necessary to say something. Someone will probably stick me in the nearest mental hospital. I pull into the driveway of the house and shut off my car, walking inside.

Mom is sitting in her office, typing away. The framed photo of her, Dad, and me sits next to her computer.

My dad passed away two years ago. He was the CEO of Pierce Nuclear Engineering and Construction Corporation. That meant that whenever a reactor leaked or malfunctioned, he was there until it was fixed. Not because he had to, because it was his choice. That company was like his second child! He devoted most of his time to work, when he wasn't working he was spending time with us. Once, when he had to go in during a reactor malfunction, it exploded. It killed him and a few others, and nothing like that has happened since. Apparently, they never found his body, so it's assumed he was blown to bits. Mom took over his company, and that's how it has been since. Now, she only gets weekends off from her busy schedule.

I tap on her door and enter the room, wrapping my arms around her as she sits in her chair.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" she asks without looking up.

"I'm going to work with Knight for a while, then I'm going to go get my nails done for tomorrow."

She laughs, "Have fun. I'm going to start my Sunday cleaning soon."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you, too."

I walk out of her office and to the kitchen. Grabbing an apple out of the fridge, I close it and move out of the kitchen. Skipping down the stairs, I dart into my closet. I change out of my flip flops and into basic boots, and exit the basement. Knight sees me as soon as I emerge, greeting me with a whinny. I give him the apple as I walk by, tapping the code into the lock and sliding the barn door open. I walk into the tack room and grab a halter, a lunge rope, a short whip, and a pile of small treats that I slip into my pocket. I exit the barn and go to Knight, who has already finished his apple. I put on his halter, attach the lunge rope, and lead him out of the pasture. We pass the barn and enter the round pen, and I take up my position in the center. I gently tap him with my whip, sending him to the edge of the pen. I adjust the rope and shake my whip at him to get him moving. He breaks into a canter, going in circles around me. I love this exercise, it reinforces our bond together. After I'm satisfied with his work, I drop the rope and whip and walk to the edge of the round pen with my back to him. He stops cantering. I expect to hear him come up behind me, but he doesn't. I wait, this exercise is about letting the horse come up to you, not the other way around.

Nothing. He's usually pretty good at this! He needs to be so we can compete in agility and those obstacle courses. This is our warm up before we do any course, we've been doing it for four years now. Where is he? He's never done this before.

I grow more impatient by the second, I've been told I have a short temper. Finally, thanks to my wonderfully short fuse, I snap. I whirl to see where the hell Knight is, he's all the way on the other side of the pen. And he's not alone.

_**hi! I hope you liked it, here comes the new character! I really really want to tell you who it is but I'm biting my tongue. maybe you can figure it out for yourself? so, what's going on here?! Luke's sending some odd signals, and Sophie is being driven to her breaking point. chapter six is so exciting, a brand new character is **__**introduced**__** into our story! and Luke comes back to make an apology... what will become of this? BEWARE: a plot twist is coming! as **__**always, review, favorite, and follow! I love you!**_


	6. Apology

**Apology**

Knight is being stroked by a man. No, a model. This guy was drop dead gorgeous! He had jet black hair and eyes like an ocean during a storm: deep blue. He was tall, and very muscular. He was dressed like a swashbuckler, kind of like the guy from last night. Dressed in a black leather jacket, a white shirt, black pants, and mid-calf black leather boots, he might be even more attractive then last night's pirate. But on a more serious note, I'm not looking forward to another new guy right before my first day in my last year of high school!

I sigh and put my hands on my hips, annoyance seeping into my voice, "You haven't been shot, right?"

A slight accent, it sounds English, comes with his husky voice as he focuses his blue eyes on me, "No, love. Why?"

His smirk is like something straight out of a movie. I am so not in the mood to deal with more oddly dressed, very attractive men right now! I walk towards him slowly, his eyes visibly travel my body before he looks back up at me. Was that supposed to be charming?

I stop a few feet in front of him and place my hand on Knight's back. We stand in silence, staring at each other. I can literally feel the tension in the air. He breaks it.

"I just wanted to see you for myself." he says.

I glance at Knight, who is still being rubbed on by the man, and back to him.

"Excuse me?"

He winks and gives me a soft but teasing smile, "I'll see you soon, love."

I say nothing, and he turns and walks to the side of the house. He's gone.

Where did he even come from? What is it with attractive pirates and my house? He "just wanted to see me for himself"? What's that supposed to mean?

"Alright, buddy. Let's try this again, huh?"

I pick up Knight's lead rope and walk to the middle of the pen. Moving my whip in his direction, he gets the hint and starts cantering again. He has the smoothest canter, it feels great to ride him. I really wish I could right now, but the constant throbbing of my feet reminds me why I can't. The dull pain has continued to my toes and the tops of my feet now.

He continues to circle me, then I drop the whip and rope, and walk to the edge of the pen. A few seconds later, I feel his nose push into my back. That's more like it! I whip around and smother him with love, giving him a treat from my pocket.

"Good boy!" I grin and peck a kiss on his nose.

Now, we see if he'll keep going. I unclip his rope so he can run free, and click my tongue at him. I start to walk away, and sure enough he follows. I feel his presence behind me as I break into a run. I hear his hooves speed up against the sand, and before I know it he's trotting behind me as I run around the pen. I stop abruptly and turn. He stops too, and I give him another treat and a rub on his neck.

"Very good! Let's go."

I pick up his rope and whip from the center, and drape them over the fence for me to grab later. And just like that, I open the gate and walk out. He follows me, without a lead rope. He could gallop away anytime he wanted to, but he doesn't. He follows me to his obstacle course arena, which has many different items scattered about. I waste no time in getting to work, I touch his nose with my hand and begin to walk. He keeps his nose pressed against my hand as he follows. I start into a light jog, and he picks up a trot behind me. We get to the first obstacle, some ground poles. He trots over them with ease, maintaining a steady pace. We continue the trot and arrive at the next obstacle, some steps. He goes up one side and down the other, and we continue. I run faster, and I click my tongue at him to quicken his pace. He responds by breaking into a canter, and we get to some more ground poles. He canters through them and continues forward to the two jumps. The first is low, and the second is higher. I remove his nose from my hand and guide him towards the jumps. He leaps into the air and clears the first jump with a few feet to spare. I move to the end of the second jump to watch him clear the second. His powerful legs push him up and over the jump gracefully. His canter turns into more of a trot as he brings his nose back to my hand and we jog to the final obstacle. I lead him to the first ground pole and we slow to a walk. This obstacle is meant to show off the horse. I lead him through the ground poles slowly in a circle, and we stop at the end. I turn and strike a pose to the invisible audience and hear applause behind me. I whip around to find Luke leaning against the fence.

"Well done!" he smiles at me, back to his usual self. I approach him slowly, Knight follows.

"What do you want?" I ask, not quite trusting him yet.

He suddenly finds his shoes incredibly interesting, "I want to apologize."

That takes me aback, "Why?"

He looks into my eyes again, "I was upset and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

He looks sincere, it looks like this is the explanation I've been waiting for.

"What were you upset about?"

He shifts, "I'm just dealing with a lot. These next few weeks are going to be tough. Not just on me."

Not just on him? Who else? I lean over and wrap him in a hug. His arms encircle me immediately.

"It'll be okay. I'm here." I say into his shoulder.

"I know."

_**yay! brand new character! his name isn't stated but if you're smart you should be able to figure it out. want a hint? it starts with an "h" and ends with an "ook"… I'm modeling him after Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time, so if you need inspiration just look him up. Luke's being friendly again, what's going on with him? WARNING: plot twist is next chapter. prepare to have your mind blown! as always, review, favorite, and follow! :)**_


	7. Different Intentions

**Different Intentions**

I pull away from Luke and smile up at him. Slowly, his face comes closer to mine. Our eyes lock, his hand reaches up to cup my cheek, his other stays at my waist. He brings his face closer and begins to pull mine up to meet his.

Before I know it his lips are on mine in a kiss. Soft and gentle, but there is a fire behind them like nothing I've ever felt before. And I liked it. My hands begin to entangle themselves in his hair and pull him deeper in, his arm on my waist holds me even closer. The fence between us seems nonexistent. Wait, what the hell am I doing? What the hell is _he_ doing? I pull myself away from him and back up a few steps.

"What are you doing?" I ask, my anger rising up through my body. This is one of those times where my short fuse is seriously not helping.

He's staring at the hand that held my face moments ago. He looks shocked, "Sophie, I didn't mean to-"

I cut him off, I'm about to cry, "Just go."

He opens his mouth like he's about to say something, but the hurt look on my face tells him otherwise. Luke knows me well enough to know that look: I'm about to explode in anger, tears, or both. Right now, it's looking like both. He looks at me sadly, "I'm so sorry."

He turns and walks away.

I turn and wrap Knight in a hug, a few tears escaping my eyes. He bends his head around my shoulders, and I tighten my hold on his neck. The tears fall faster now, soaking his black coat.

I had no idea that was how he felt about me. I was so blind. The way he looked at me, the way he hugged me, I'm so stupid! How did I not see it?

I've always thought of him as my best friend, nothing more than that. I guess he thought otherwise. But, I actually kind of liked kissing him. No, I didn't. He's my friend and nothing more.

I pull away and wipe my eyes. I'm not going to be a baby. I don't like being pitied, and I don't like people to see my emotions and weaknesses. And just because I may or may not have liked kissing him, he's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. I don't want to change that.

I look at Knight, it's almost like he can tell I'm unhappy. I kiss his nose and take a deep breath. I'm okay. I glance back in Luke's direction, he's gone.

I pull my phone from my back pocket, it's only three o'clock. I've worked him well enough today, he can graze for a while. I hook my finger through his halter and walk out of the arena. I lead him to the pasture and open the gate for him, he enters and turns back to me. I give him the last treat from my pocket and a kiss on the nose. I remove his halter and back out of the pasture. I hang his halter next to his lead rope on the fence, and go to the round pen. Grabbing his whip and lunge rope, I walk back to the barn. I hang them in their proper places and lock the barn door. Giving him one more kiss on his nose, I walk back to the basement.

I take off my boots and place them on the mat. I plop onto the couch and pull up one of my aching feet to look at it. Nothing too out of the ordinary. They were really hurting now! I rub on them a little, trying to soothe the throbbing pain. Other than the pain, I still have ten toes on each foot, and they're still tan with a light hint of... gray? What? I pull my foot closer to my face.

What the hell. My foot has a tint of gray to it. It looks dead, like the blood has drained from it. But at the same time, I'm still tan. Okay, I'm really weirded out right now. I hop up from the couch and grab my flip-flops. I go back up the stairs to the main level. Each step sends a light pain up my ankles. Mom has moved to the living room, where she's vacuuming the carpet.

She sees me and shuts the vacuum off, taking in my still slightly puffy eyes.

"What's up?"

"I'm leaving, I can run to the store after if you need anything?"

She sighs, she knows I avoided her question, "Can you grab some pasta and Alfredo sauce? I'm thinking of making some pasta to go with last night's steak."

"Yum. I will. Bye."

"Bye."

_**so what's up with Sophie's feet?! sorry this chapter was kinda short, the next ones will be longer! next chapter is pretty low key, but we do have a new character. serious kudos to you if you can guess who it is after reading it. a massive thank you to behereforyou for following my story! also, thank you to Miracle Jane and my mysterious guest reviewers for your awesome reviews! please review, favorite, and follow! :)**_


	8. Massages are Good For Aching Gray Feet

**Massages are Good for Aching Gray Feet**

I exit the house and hop into my truck. I cruise out of the neighborhood and onto the highway. The nail salon is only a few minutes away, but the drive seems to take even less than that. Before I know it I'm pulling into the parking lot, and climbing out of my truck. I walk into the nail salon, a little chime announces my entrance. The place is almost empty, an older woman sits in a chair getting a manicure done, and a mother and daughter sit in two massage chairs near the front of the salon. A woman looks up at me with a smile, "What can I do for you today?"

"I'm hoping to get a manicure and a pedicure, please."

"Of course! Right this way."

She leads me to a massage chair in the back corner and hands me a small brochure.

"Browse through this and select which one you would like. Linda will be right with you."

"Thank you."

She walks away, I remove my shoes and sit down. I look through the different pedicure options: Hot Stone, Deep Sea Scrub, and a weird one I can't pronounce. My eyes land on the one that sounds the most appealing: "Soothing Massage". That is just what I need right now. My feet seem to be getting worse by the minute.

At that moment, a middle-aged woman appears in front of me.

"Have you decided?"

"Could I do the soothing massage please?"

She smiles, "I'll be right back."

She takes my brochure and walks through a doorway to the back of the salon. Seconds later she returns with a small cart full of different lotions and polishes. Rolling a small stool in front of me, she sits and turns on the water in the tub below me.

I dip my feet into the warm, soapy water, letting it ease the pain.

"What would you like to get?"

"Could I just do a French?"

"Sure."

She falls silent as she begins to work. She rubs some lotion onto my calves and starts to rub them, pressing her fingers into all the right places. She's good at this!

I relax back into my chair and let my eyes fall closed. I'm trying so hard to forget everything right now, the color of my hurting feet, Luke, those two guys at my house...

I just can't forget the feeling of Luke's lips on mine. I can't decide if I liked it or not! I liked the kiss, but the fact that it was him who was kissing is just... How did I not see that he liked me in that way? How long had he liked me? I mean, he was attractive, but we had been best friends for ages. I can't just put all those years behind me. I don't WANT to put all those years behind me.

She pulls my feet out of the water and uses a soft towel to dry them off. She begins to rub more lotion into them, my pain dulls. This was very relaxing. She massages for what seems like ages, but I could sit here forever. Finally she stops and gets to work on my pedicure. In minutes, she finishes. I glance down to see them perfectly done.

"Thank you! They're perfect." I grin at her.

She smiles back, "Follow me for your manicure."

As soon as I hit the floor the pain in my feet returns, but I choose to ignore it. I'm trying to relax and ignore my problems for a while. She leads me to a chair and I sit.

She gets to work clipping my nails and painting them to match my toes. In a matter of minutes she's finished. My nails look perfect, it's just the boost I need going into my senior year.

I go to the front to pay, and leave Linda a good tip.

"Thank you!" I call, and exit the salon.

Next stop, grocery store. I walk carefully to my truck and climb in, not wanting to ruin my perfect nails. Starting it up, I loosely grip the steering wheel and pull out. I maneuver out of the parking lot, and proceed back to the house. The highway is packed, it's rush hour. Everyone is coming back from the city, and I'm stuck in the middle of it. Great.

I pull my truck to the nearest exit, a side street that will take me home. I cruise along, admiring the tall grasses that wave in the wind, and the cows in the fields alongside the road. Turning my attention back to the street, I notice a white light ahead of me. It's growing bigger very quickly. It's coming right at my windshield! Is it a bug of some sort? Okay, this thing was the size of a tennis ball and growing bigger. A high pitched whine sounds through the air as the ball of light gets closer. I'd rather not have a massive bug on my windshield. With the high pitched whine filling my ears I lightly swerve off to the other lane, but my tires catch the gravel.

My car whips to the side, completely out of my hands now. I hear the screech of rubber and feel my car slide around before stopping, turned in the opposite direction I was coming from. I'm shaking a little, and my breathing is heavy. That could not have ended well. What was that thing? I look around through my windows and see no trace of the white bug.

Taking a deep breath, I wrap my hands around the steering wheel and pull out into the street in the right direction. I begin the drive home a little faster, eager to get home safely. That thing was the size of a baseball! I've never seen something so big! I sigh and turn on the radio, blasting a song from an Alternative Rock station. I keep it loud to drown out my thoughts. I manage to forget about the white bug by the time I pull into the grocery store.

_**guess who the new character is (hint: you've already read about him!)… next chapter is pretty interesting, Sophie walks in on her mom having a secret conversation with an unknown man… love you! I'll love you more if you review, favorite, and follow! :)**_


	9. Lost Appetite

**Lost Appetite**

The grocery store and drive home are uneventful, I pull into the driveway. My nails are completely dry now, so I'm free to do as I please. It's about five o'clock, Mom will want to start dinner. I grab the two grocery bags from the passenger's seat, and climb out of the car. I lock it and step through the front door.

I hear the distant sound of a vacuum upstairs. I walk to the kitchen and place my bags on the counter, and unload them. Alfredo sauce to the fridge, pasta to the cabinet, and apples to the fruit drawer.

I go up the stairs and towards her room, where the vacuum's noise is coming from.

Turning the corner into her room, I see the vacuum sitting in the middle of the room, on and cleaning, but no one using it.

"Mom?"

Then I hear voices. One that sounds like my mother's, and another that sounds familiar. I can barely hear what she's saying.

"I'm going back for her, okay? This isn't for the family I left there, or for anyone else. She's my daughter." That's Mom. She's talking about me?

"I understand."

"We need to get her there soon. With Aleksander and the others looking for her, too..." my mother's strong voice becomes sad, "I'm worried about her."

"Don't be." and the man is silent. Mom walks back from the corner of the room to resume vacuuming, and doesn't see me. I duck out of sight and take a huge breath.

Were they talking about me? I know my mother was in the beginning, but that next part... Going back where? Who the hell is Aleksander? I sigh and rub my temples, I was getting a headache. And to top that off, that aching seemed to be moving up my legs. I feel it in my calves now. I have no clue what's wrong with me!

I collect myself and walk into her room with a smile plastered on my face, "Hey!"

She looks, surprised, but masks it quickly with a smile. She shuts off the vacuum and turns to me, "When did you get home?"

"Just now. I unloaded the stuff and put it in the fridge."

"I'll finish vacuuming and I'll be down to start cooking."

"Sounds good!"

I turn and walk out of the room, and go back downstairs. Flopping onto the couch, I pull out my phone. There's a text message from Savanna, "hey! can't wait to see you tomorrow, meet by the bench? and u r coming to the party no matter what!"

I smile and text back, "of course to both. missed you!"

Austin Roberts throws a party after the first day of school every year. I've never been, but I decided to go this year because it's my senior year, and it's kind of like a pre-birthday party for me. And Austin... Austin is the definition of popular. He just moved here at the end of last year, but he's already the quarterback of the school's varsity football team, easily the most attractive guy in school, student body president, and has an incredibly long line of girls just waiting to hook up with him. And he's chosen me as his next one. It's no secret that he wants to date me, everyone in the school knows. He may be attractive, smart, and athletic, but he knows everyone is into him, and he's let it go to his head. He's not really my type. But at the same time, I sometimes think about dating him. I've been told that he's nice and very doting, he's incredibly rich after all, but I don't want to be like every other girl in the school. Usually, as soon as he hooks up with a girl, he dumps her. Not meanly, but as soon as he gets her he leaves her in the dust. He's a total player. But nevertheless, I'm going to go to his party. I can avoid him and have a good time. It'll be fine.

By the time Mom walks into the room the sun is beginning to set. She places the vacuum in the hall closet and turns to me.

"I'm going to start dinner, okay?"

"Sure."

My phone buzzes with a smiley face from Savanna.

I put my phone down and turn on the TV. It's on a crime show that I'm not exactly interested in, and I quickly zone out. Did the pedicure lady press the wrong places? I bend down to look at my legs, they still look relatively normal. The only thing is that light tinge of gray. It seems to have crept up my legs, but luckily it's only noticeable if you're looking for it. This is weird. It feels like I'm in a dream, and soon I'll wake up next to Luke on the floor of the basement. The two men, Luke kissing me, my legs, that weird conversation my mother had with a guy who seemingly disappeared through her window? It all seems unreal.

I pinch the inside of my elbow, wincing a little. Nothing. I'm still sitting on the couch, listening to the crime show and to Mom cook dinner. If this isn't a dream, I'm incredibly close to cracking my "nothing is wrong" facade. School is tomorrow, my only chance at making things normal. I'm going to go in with my head held high, and make it to Austin's party tomorrow night. Heck, if this is a dream, then I can let whatever happens happen. I could live out my secret fantasy of letting him flirt with me and maybe flirting back this time.

"Dinner's ready!" Mom calls, snapping me out of my daydream.

I stand, my legs complaining every step of the way to the table. I flop into my chair with a little more force than necessary, Mom shoots me a glance as she sets the silverware and napkins on the table. She decided to brush it off, and sets down my plate.

"Thank you."

"Sure."

Sitting across from me, she digs in to her meal. I nibble on mine, I don't really have an appetite at the moment. She notices almost immediately.

"What's up? I thought my Alfredo was your favorite."

"I'm fine. I'm just not super hungry, I ate on the way home."

I'm a horrible liar, she arches her eyebrow, I'm sure I'm about to get called out.

"Just eat what you want. I want to make sure you're good for school tomorrow. Do you need anything?"

"Nope. I'm fine."

"Okay."

Thank God. We sit in silence, eating and thinking. I take a few more bites before I'm done. I stand to take my plate to the sink, rinse it, and load it into the dishwasher. I walk back to the table and sit down, where Mom is finishing her meal. I reach down to rub my calves a little, willing the pain to go away. She takes her plate to the counter and loads it.

"You should go to bed early, get some beauty sleep for tomorrow."

It's only seven thirty, but sleep is sounding pretty nice. A sweet escape from today's nightmare. I get up and give her a hug.

"Good idea. Love you."

She kisses the top of my head, "Love you too."

I pull away and grab my glass of water on my way downstairs.

"Goodnight!" she calls after me.

"Goodnight." I respond, gingerly stepping down each stair. I deposit the glass on my night table and walk outside to let Knight back into his stall. He whinnies at me from the pasture, I smile at him and lead him quickly inside. I snatch a treat from the tack room and give it to him, kissing his nose and locking the barn door on my way out. I go back inside and take off the boots. Walking into the bathroom, I get ready as quickly as possible. My tired feeling is getting stronger each minute. Throwing on my softest pair of PJ shorts and a comfy top, I yank my hair into a bun and crawl into bed. I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

**Sophie's first day is tomorrow! ahhh! I know this chapter was kind of fluff, but these next few chapters our story progresses A LOT! next chapter we get to meet Austin… ;P pretty please review, favorite, and follow!**


	10. First Day

**First Day**

I awake to my alarm twittering at me, it's six in the morning. I heave a sigh and shut it off, climbing out of bed. Ouch. The pain is up to my knees now. This sucks. I cross to the closet and flick on the light, momentarily blinding myself. I rub my eyes and focus in on the row of shirts. I pull them over one by one until I get to the last one. It's not the shirt. Where did it go? I paw through my clothes a little more frantically, there's nothing. It's gone. Who could have taken it? Mom? Luke? One of those pirate guys? This was too weird. Maybe it was part of the dream. I'll wake up soon, all in good time. In the meantime, I can do whatever I want.

I grab a pair of very short black shorts, and my favorite crop top: white with a sunflower in the middle. I cross to the bathroom. I get ready slowly, taking as much time as I need. I have to look good today! Maybe I'll see Austin. In this dream, I can finally give myself a chance to live out the fantasy of being the girlfriend of the most popular guy in school. The thought makes me a little giddy. I wrestle my hair into a messy side fishtail braid, and apply my makeup. Pulling away from the mirror, I take a deep breath and flash a smile. Perfect. Today, I will make Austin fall in love with me. I lace up my black Chuck Taylors, grab my phone, and walk upstairs. The first day we aren't really even doing anything, so I don't need my backpack. Mom is already dressed and making breakfast.

"Good morning!" she says cheerfully, flashing me a smile.

"Morning."

I take up my usual place at the counter and she sets in front of me a delicious plate of my favorite breakfast foods: maple sausages, bacon, hash browns, and a pancake covered in syrup. I dig in, suddenly hungry from not eating last night.

"What's the occasion?" I ask, mouth full of food.

"It's your first day," she smiles at me, "you've got to start the day off right!"

She takes a sip of her coffee and I nod in agreement. I finish my food and set my plate in the sink, jumping back down the stairs to brush my teeth. I come back up to see Mom washing my plate. I give her a hug and she kisses my cheek.

"Have a good day."

"You too." I respond.

I grab my keys from the table and walk to the door. The pain in my legs has become so constant I almost don't notice it. Almost. I unlock my truck and hop in, and pull out of the driveway. I cruise to school feeling pumped, I blast a pop station as I wait in the traffic line that always builds up. Finally, I get through and pull into the student parking lot, taking a spot close to the front. I cut the engine and hop out, getting a few stares from a group of junior guys hanging out by their cars. I begin the walk to the bench, being careful not to get hit by any bad drivers. From my experience, there are tons.

"Sophie!"

I look up to see Savanna running towards me, a huge grin on her face. She looks really cute today, white high waisted shorts and a coral crop top, with her hair in a bun.

She reaches me and wraps me in a huge hug, I hug her back.

"I missed you!" she says.

"I missed you too." I reply, a smile on my face.

"You look super cute!" she grins.

"You do too!"

She links arms with me, "Let's go inside."

We walk in, swallowed by high school. Here we go. Another year. I keep my eyes peeled for Austin, but there are no signs of him other than the occasional conversations I hear about his party tonight as we pass by other seniors.

Savanna elbows me in the ribs, "So how are things with you and Austin?"

Everyone at school assumed that we were going to hook up over summer, but I never even texted him.

I roll my eyes and flash a nonchalant smile, "Nothing's really happening in that department."

She looks shocked, "Really? But everyone said you two were gonna... you know..."

I laugh and she does too.

"Nothing happened. But maybe something might tonight."

"Oooh! I knew it! You like him!" she shouts gleefully.

Now it's my turn to elbow her, "Shut up! Not everyone needs to know!"

"Sorry."

We take our seats in the senior section of the gym, as does everyone else.

"It's okay. I guess we'll see what happens."

She winks at me and we turn our eyes to the floor. No sign of Luke yet. I know he wouldn't miss the first day of school, but he's going to try hard to go unseen by me. Soon, our principal, Mr. Collins, walks out, a huge smile on his face.

"Welcome back!" he shouts into his microphone.

We all cheer in response.

"I'm super excited to be starting another amazing year with you guys, and I have a feeling this is going to be the best year this school has ever had!"

We all cheer again. He proceeds to talk about all of the different dances and events planned for the kick-off of this year, blah blah blah, homecoming is on my birthday again. Our school's homecoming is only a few weeks into the school year. I begin to absentmindedly rub my aching legs, staring off into the distance. But thunderous applause shakes me out of my reverie, and Austin Roberts steps out onto the gym floor. He's even more attractive than he was last year, he's gotten more muscular. That blonde hair is styled well, and his aquamarine eyes sparkle. His deep, masculine voice fills the gym, "Hey there my fellow students!" he flashes a charming grin at the sophomore section, I swear I see a few girls faint.

"I'm so happy to be back this year as your student body president and quarterback of the football team, and I'm very excited about all of the amazing events we've planned for you. I'll see you all at every one, right? Especially the homecoming dance and game!" he's met with cheers and hollers from everyone in the gym. He grins and turns to the seniors, eyes scanning the crowd. I hide behind a taller guy, because I have a feeling it's me he's looking for.

"The cheer squad and my team have been working on a new cheer for us to do at football games, and we would all like to teach it to you. Are we ready?"

We all scream, and the football team comes running on to the floor in their jerseys and jeans. The cheerleaders follow in skirts so short they seem nonexistent. That's the appeal, I suppose.

Austin and his groupies show us the cheer, and we follow along. He concludes with his hope to see us at the first football game next week and at homecoming, and hands the microphone back to Mr. Collins. Everyone cheers as he walks back to the front row, his teammates slap him on the back as Mr. Collins wraps up the assembly. He wants us to go to our first period, and so we all flood from the bleachers to the doors. Savanna runs off to join her friend, giving me a kiss on the cheek and promising to meet me at lunch. I slowly climb down the bleachers, the pain in my legs is pretty bad. Pretty much everyone is running past me, I try to go a little faster so it's not obvious that I'm hurt. Then, as I get to the last step, I trip. Shit. As the ground rushes up to meet me and I prepare for impact, an incredibly strong pair of arms wrap around me, pulling me back onto my feet. This was like something straight out of a movie. I turn to thank my savior, and am interrupted by a voice like honey, "Falling for me already, Sophie? I thought I would have to work for it."

His pearly whites flash at me, he doesn't let me go as he holds me in his arms. I could actually get used to this. I put on my most seductive face and look up through my lashes to meet his blue eyes, "Hey, Austin."

_**what do we think of Austin?! I posted this early in honor of my newest follower, pinkpoodle8! I'm so glad you're liking the story, thank you so much for following! next chapter is pretty low key, a little bit of Knight and the start of Austin's party. I'm telling you now, things don't end well… please review, favorite, and follow! love you!**_


	11. the Party

**the Party**

He grins, still not letting me go. It's kind of funny actually, it's like we were dancing, he dipped me, and never pulled me back up. I decide to play a little hard to get. Hopefully this works.

"How was your summer?"

"Fine, thanks." I respond.

"Are you coming to my party tonight?" he asks.

"Maybe."

I begin to try and stand up, his arms are still holding me in place.

"Going somewhere?"

I finally wriggle out of his grip and stand, "Yes, actually. First period."

I turn my back to him and walk away, making sure to sashay a little more than necessary.

"And, Austin?"

I turn back to him to find that he hasn't moved, his eyes jolt back up from my butt to meet mine.

"You are gonna have to work for it."

I flash him a flirty smile and see his eyebrows raise, he's not used to a girl resisting his charm. I turn away and walk out without a backward glance. Nailed it! Now I just have to reel him in. Knowing Austin, he's going to try to use his money to get me to like him. I'm going to show him that it's going to take more than that to get a girl. I slide into a seat in English right as the bell rings, and my new teacher blabbers on and on about the class for the whole period. She lists the supplies we'll need, which I write down, and it's off to the next class. The day is like this the whole time, moving from class to class. By the time it's over, I'm glad we're out. I walk to my car and hop in, pulling out my sunglasses and putting them on. I back out of my parking space and begin the drive. I turn on the radio again, allowing myself to get lost in my thoughts about Austin and his party tonight. I'm going to have to look perfect, and turn up the flirting. Now I'm hoping this dream never ends! Even if this isn't a dream, I'm realizing now that I want to date him anyways. I'm not going to hookup with him right away like most do, but I still want to date him.

School was amazing. I got to feel normal again. I even managed to slightly ignore my aching pain in my legs. Luckily, the gray tinge is dull, and the pain hasn't gone past my knees yet. I'm doing good. I pull out my phone and text Mom that I'm going to pick up school supplies and I'll be home by four thirty. That gives me an hour and a half to grab some school stuff and hunt for an outfit to wear to Austin's party. I pull in to Office Max and get the stuff I need as quickly as possible, then I speed over to the mall to find some clothes. After a half hour of searching, I find nothing. Wandering into Abercrombie and Fitch, my eyes land on the cutest crop top I have ever seen. It's spaghetti-strapped and scoop necked, in a gorgeous red with blue and white flowers all over it. I snatch up a medium and run to the dressing room to try it on. It's perfect! Just enough skin to look very good, but not trashy. I buy it and exit the store, speeding back home.

I pull into the driveway at four thirty exactly, and grab my bags. Mom isn't home yet, so I go downstairs and deposit the bags on my bed. I change into muck boots and go outside, where Knight is waiting in his stall. He whinnies at me and I smile at him, kissing his nose before I lead him out to the pen. I work with him on following me without a rope, making sure to get him some exercise, too. After an hour and a half I put him back in his stall, I won't be home in time to let him out of the pasture anyways. I go back inside and change out of my muck boots. I hop in the shower and wash the day's dirt away. I even use my yummy rose body wash. I enter my closet and select my shortest pair of dark denim shorts, and my push-up bra I only use on special occasions like this. I change out of the day's outfit and into my new one, and lace up my pair of brown ankle boots to highlight my legs. The effect is perfect. I rebraid and reapply my makeup, and grab my phone as I head upstairs. Mom still isn't home, not that I'm surprised. It's six forty five, his party doesn't start until seven. I'm going to be fashionably late and not leave for another ten minutes.

I flop onto the couch and shoot Savanna a text, "be there soon".

She texts me back a few minutes later, "already here. he went all out for this one! he's trying to impress you!".

"whatever! see u in a few"

I stand and go outside, grabbing the house key from the plant. Who knows what time I'll be home! I hop into my truck and pull out of the driveway, cruising onto the main road. I turn onto a road that goes back through a vast valley of wildflowers and drive at least a mile until I get to the gate. A man sits inside, "Name?"

"Sophie Pierce?"

"Who are you here to see?"

"Austin Roberts."

He takes a photo of my license plate and opens the gate. I drive through and into the trees. Austin's house is one of the biggest in this neighborhood, so it takes me a while to drive to the back. Soon, the houses spread out and get larger, and I pull into the driveway of his house. Tastefully decorated with twinkling white Christmas lights, but I know what lies within. I pull farther up the driveway, which is wide enough to fit at least four trucks, and park behind the growing line of cars snaking down his driveway. I check the clock before climbing out, seven thirty. Perfect. The faint sound of pumping music is up ahead. I follow the driveway to the top, where a massive fountain is located. It spews water in every direction, it glows with a soft light. It's actually kind of pretty. His house is monstrous. It sprawls ahead of me like a castle, each window is lit up with a different color as the strobe lights inside flash. I walk up the front steps and open the front door, stepping inside. I'm greeted by the smell of underage drinking and the sight of many people dancing. It's pitch black inside, save the strobes. They allow for brief flashes of light that illuminate couples grinding and making out as today's pop hits come blasting through high quality speakers all around the room. Kegs are set up along one wall, and the DJ is set up along the other. The floor is completely crowded. I sigh. This is why I hate parties. But I'm here for Austin. I might as well look for him and try to have fun.

_**next chapter we get taken to another world, if you know what I mean, and all of these mysteries start to get solved… I'm so excited! #plottwist and as always, please remember to review, favorite, and follow! the reviews are super helpful, thank you so much to everyone who has been leaving them! it makes me want to write more for you! :)**_


	12. Taken

**Taken**

I step further into the house, looking for Savanna and Austin. Savanna sees me first.

"Sophie!" she shrieks.

I turn around to greet her just as she smacks into me, a huge grin on her slightly drunk face. It's clear she's had a few drinks already. She shoves a Solo cup into my hand, and takes a sip from hers.

"Isn't this great?"

I smile and nod, "Yeah."

"I haven't seen Austin yet. Have you?" she asks.

I shake my head in response, "No, I haven't."

"Maybe he'll show up. It's his party anyway." she smiles at me and gives me a hug, then staggers back to her group. I'm alone.

I sigh and move off of the dance floor to the wall. If Austin doesn't make his appearance in a few minutes, I'm leaving. I drum my fingers on the wall, absentmindedly staring into the crowd.

The song ends and a new one starts, even more auto-tuned than the last. That's it, I'm out. I turn towards the door and smack right into a man's broad chest. I plaster a flirty smile on my face. About time he showed up.

"Sorry. Hi."

Austin chuckles, "It's getting hard to keep you off of me! Dance with me?"

Ugh. He's so cocky. I smile up at him, "Sure."

He takes my cup out of my hands and sets it on a small table nearby, and slides his hand around mine.

"Come on."

He leads me into the crowd, I see a few jealous girls glaring at me, and a few guys trying to wink at me. Austin doesn't let go until we're in the middle of the floor, surrounded by as close to a mosh-pit as high school seniors can get. He grabs my other hand and places it around his neck, pulling my body right up against his. My hands stay behind his head, and he reaches down to grab my hips. He sways us side to side to the beat of the music, every inch of us touching each other. I can feel the energy buzzing between our bodies. I look up at him then, and I'm met with a look I've never gotten from Austin before. He looks almost... hungry. He lightly licks his lips and brings his head down to meet me, and instantly his lips are on mine in a kiss. A completely sober, very passionate, kiss. I can't get very excited about though, he kills the mood pretty quickly by biting my bottom lip. Hard. Is this his idea of being flirty? Immediately I feel blood begin to drip down my chin, I pull away and look up at him. Spots begin to cloud my vision, but I see him smile with a set of abnormally sharp teeth.

"Wha-" I can't even form a complete sentence. I feel dizzy and sick, my vision darkens further. What's happening to me? I can feel my blood dripping down my chin, but I can't move my hand to wipe it away. I can't move at all. Pain shoots through my legs, up to my waist. It's as if my bones are breaking. The pain is blinding, it hurts so bad! I slump forward into him, his arms wrap around me in a tight hold.

I hear a soft chuckle in my ear, his breath warms my cheek,"Goodnight, Princess."

Everything goes black.

* * *

><p><em>Drip.<em>

Ouch.

_Drip._

Ouch!

_Drip._

OUCH!

My eyes snap open. I'm sitting against a wall on a cold stone floor. I can see a barred window on the right wall, where the light of the moon is hidden by thick clouds. There is a door on the wall across from me, it's metal with a small window at eye level. On the left wall, there is a cot and a sink. A cold liquid is dripping onto my legs, each drop causes them to throb with pain. Glancing up, I see a small hole in the ceiling, where a small line of pipe is dripping. Glancing down, I can see where the liquid has hit my leg. The spot is entirely silver scales, shimmering a rainbow of colors in the moonlight. It would be beautiful if it didn't hurt so terribly. Every drip makes the silver spot spread, turning my upper thigh into sparkling silver scales. Like a fish's scales, but infused with rainbow glitter. I lean forward slightly, seeing that with each drop, my skin seems to fade away. It's like it melts to reveal the silver scales. What the hell is going on!

_Drip._

My skin really is melting off, that's why it hurts so badly. It feels like I'm being stabbed over and over in the same place. I try in vain to move my legs, but the slightest shift causes more pain than the liquid does. My bones feel shattered, and each movement seems to make the shards grind together and against my skin. I try to move my hands to brush the liquid off, and I almost succeed before the shackles stop me. Shackles?! It hits me then, I'm in a jail cell. I take in a quick breath. Oh my God. I'm in _jail_. What did I do? I think back to what happened before I was here, all I can remember are strobe lights and loud music. Was I at a party? Maybe the cops busted us. So now I'm here. Maybe I'm on drugs, and I'm hallucinating.

_Drip._

Memories slowly trickle in: Luke's kiss, the two pirates, Austin. I just can't remember anything past those strobes… I try to move my legs again, and cry out against my will. A few rogue tears drip down my face, I rub them away. It feels like knives are being dragged along my tendons. I lean my head back against the stone wall, and take a shaky breath.

_Drip._

At that moment, I hear a thunk. It sounds as if a lock is being turned. My door swings open to reveal a man standing in the doorway. He's wearing a long black trench coat, a black shirt, and dark jeans. He's holding a small but sharp looking dagger in his right hand, and a black pouch in his left. Then, he moves into the dim moonlight.

I gasp, "Austin?!"

His eyes are now deep yellow, like molten gold. He chuckles, his eyes flashing, "Please, call me Aleksander."

_Drip._

_**yay! new chapter with new surprises… I hope you liked it! if you did, please review, favorite, and follow! I'd like a few reviews before I post the next chapter, I don't really know if you guys are liking it because only a few people are leaving reviews! to those who are, I LOVE YOU! :)**_


	13. Neverland

**Neverland**

He smirks, relishing in my confusion. And then it hits me. My mother was talking about him with that unknown voice out her window. What was it she said? That "Aleksander" was looking for me?

_Drip._

"What do you want?" I ask, trying as hard as I can to keep my voice strong.

He strides forward and crouches before me, a spark in his golden eyes, "Information."

He slowly reaches out and catches the next drop of liquid in his palm. And the next. I savor the relief of not having my skin be melted off for a few moments. Then, he flips his hand upside down, sending a puddle of the liquid onto my legs. I scream loudly, mostly in pain, and partly in shock. I try to move my hands to brush the liquid agony off, but they get caught by my chains again. I move my legs, and it sends another shock of pain through my body. I start to cry for real now, big tears that drip down my face. I furiously swipe them away, I never cry in front of anyone.

"I'll tell you anything! Just make it stop!"

He smiles at me, his sharp teeth on display.

"Do you know where this water comes from?" he asks.

_Drip._

"No." I whimper, this is nothing like I've ever felt before.

He catches the next drop, and lets it fall through his fingers onto my leg. I half expect my flesh to sizzle and smoke.

"This," he smirks, "is water straight from Mermaid Lagoon."

"It's what?"

Mermaid Lagoon? Where the hell is that? I've never even heard of any such lake in all of Colorado.

"The place where the mermaids dwell, Sophie."

"But, mermaids don't exist."

_Drip._

He chuckles, "Oh, silly girl. You're living proof that they do."

"What?"

Now, he really laughs at me. What is he talking about? I'm proof that mermaids exist? I glance down at my shimmering leg, it does kind of add up…

I set my jaw and glare up at him, he looks slightly shocked, but amused, at my new found strength.

"Tell me what's going on. Now."

_Drip._

He smiles at me, and leans forward so quickly I almost fall backwards. He whips out his dagger and presses it to my throat. It stings, but I don't back down. His face has morphed into one of a stone cold killer.

"If you EVER," he forces the dagger against my throat, I can feel a few drops of my blood drip from my neck, but I refuse to back away, "talk to me like you have power," he pushes harder, "I will slice your throat."

My blood is now streaming down my throat and onto my chest.

_Drip._

He pulls away, and stares into my eyes.

'Welcome to Neverland, Princess."

Neverland? Like THE Neverland? Princess? He reaches into his bag and pulls out a pinch of a familiar looking sparkly sand.

"What are you talki-"

"I know all I need to know for now."  
>"But-" He blows it onto my face, and I slump into the wall, out cold.<p>

* * *

><p>I sit up with a gasp, wiping away hot tears and shaking my head to get rid of the nightmare. It's okay. It was all a dream. Taking in my surroundings, it hits me hard that it's not.<p>

I don't even know how long I've been out for, but the sun is shining brightly and my cell is kind of hot. The sky is a beautiful blue, with white cotton candy clouds. There is a light breeze that carries with it the smell of the sea. I'm so not in Colorado anymore. I move to stretch, but that sharp pain reminds me that I can't. Almost my whole left leg is scales now, and they shine beautifully in the late morning sun. On the bright side, the water doesn't hurt very much anymore. It has melted off my flesh as much as it could. I just don't want to go through that with my right leg.

At that moment, I hear a scratching sound. Almost like sawing. I scan my room from my spot on the floor, not seeing anything. But, a bit of movement out of the corner of my eye catches my attention.

A dagger, nothing like the one Aleksander used on me, is sawing through the bars of my window. No way. Is this a jailbreak? I don't know who's doing it, all I can see is the steady back and forth motion of the dagger against the bar. It's working, my rescuer is almost halfway through with the second bar.

I try to call out to them but I fail, I can't speak. My mouth and throat are so dry that I can't talk. All I can do is look helplessly at the dagger, now sawing through its third bar. I sit and wait, within minutes all six bars are sawed through, and the window is open wide enough for a person to fit through. Then, it goes quiet. It appears my rescuer has disappeared. I can't shout for help or to see if anyone is there, I can just stare and hope for the best.

Nothing.

The world is silent, except for the distant calling of seagulls and the salty breeze moving through the trees.

All of a sudden, a guy jumps through my window. He rolls gracefully through and lands on the floor, with his back to me. He straightens and brushes dust off of his loose white shirt. He's wearing brown pants and black leather boots, and has a small dagger, a pouch tied with a familiar weathered white string, and something that looks like an old fashioned flute attached to his belt. He runs a hand through his wavy chestnut hair, with those beautiful hints of red. And then he turns around.

There's a spark in those emerald green eyes as he extends a hand to me, "Peter Pan, at your service m'lady."

_**mermaids?! Peter Pan?! this story just got incredibly exciting… ;P thank you to my mysterious guest reviewer, you brighten my days and make me want to write even more! :) we have a brand new character next chapter! I hope you liked it, pretty please review, favorite, and follow!**_


	14. Marina

**Marina**

A week ago, I would have laughed if someone introduced themselves as Peter Pan. But now, my silver leg and surroundings cause me to believe he's not lying.

_Drip._

He smiles at me reassuringly, and then his eyes land on my leg.

"Shit. You're already in transition."

"I'm-" I break into a coughing fit, my mouth is so dry. I clear my throat and take a few deep breaths before I try again.

"I'm what?"

"Transition," he repeats, "from a human to a mermaid."

I laugh nervously, "Um, you're kidding right?"

Something inside me knows he isn't, but I don't want to believe it.

His face grows serious, "I'm not. We need to get you out of here and to the lagoon before nightfall, before Aleksander wakes up."

He steps forward. "Are you in pain?"

I nod, "Yeah. It's really bad. Nothing like I've ever felt before."

_Drip._

He cocks his head, "I'm just going to have to carry you, and you're going to have to bear with me. It's going to hurt."  
>I nod, trying to maintain a brave face.<p>

"I can do it."

He smiles at me, "That's the spirit."

He crouches onto the floor of my cell and reaches into the pouch that contains that sparkling white sand. He withdraws a small silver key, and inserts it into my shackles.

"How do you have the key?" I ask, curious.

He moves to my other wrist and smiles at me, "It's a skeleton key. It unlocks anything and everything on this island." He unlocks it and leans towards me, "Alright. One, two, three."

He puts his arms behind my knees and back, and lifts. I bite my tongue hard to keep my scream in. It's unbearable. Silent tears fall, I bury my face in his chest and squeeze hard onto his shoulders.

He straightens and looks down at me, "Will you be okay?"

I tighten my grip and nod. He gives me a sympathetic smile, and lifts off of the ground. Oh, that's right. Peter Pan can fly.

We soar out the window and into this new world. It's very beautiful, we're flying away from my mountain prison over a forest of tall aspens and evergreens. Looking back, I see that my prison was built into the side of a mountain, located near the mouth of a large cave and a sizable lake fed by a waterfall. That lake empties into an even bigger waterfall that falls down the rest of the mountain range. The waterfall empties into a long creek that leads to a crystal blue ocean. Looking around helps take my mind off of my throbbing legs. I can see a fishing village near the end of the river, right on the beach, that backs up to the forest. The whole island is covered by the lush trees, save the mountains and a dryer plateau on another side. A thin column of smoke wafts up from the plateau, a campfire?

Glancing away from the plateau, there is a massive tree that towers above the forest, and seems to glow in the light. My eyes can't seem to tear themselves away from it.

Peter distracts me by dipping lower in the sky, towards a smaller cove on the opposite end of the island. We've traveled a long distance in this time. He lands on a rock in the center of the cove, and gently sets me down on the ground next to him. My legs complain at every small movement. He sits down next to me.

"Are you okay?"

I look up at him, my eyes welling up with tears. God, I need to stop with the crying.

"What's happening to me?" I ask.

As soon as the first tear trickles down my cheek, he pulls me in for a hug. I lean against his chest, thankful for the warmth of another person. He holds me, gently rocking back and forth. I hear the crackle of twigs in the bushes, he hears it too. We turn in the direction of the noise, but nothing is there. This place is weird.

"It'll be okay. It sucks right now, I can't even imagine what you're feeling. But soon, it will all be over."

I tilt my head to look up at him, "What do you-"

He reaches out and puts a finger to my lips, a grin forming on his face.

"Shh. Everything will make sense in time."

I turn away and stare into the water below us, it ripples in the soft wind, bluer than anything I've ever seen. Peter shifts next to me, reaching to his belt to grab the instrument I saw earlier.

I sniff and wipe my eyes, "What is that?"

"This," he smiles down at me, "is my set of pipes."

"Like a flute?" I ask.

He nods, and brings them to his lips. He plays a short melody that sounds like a sea breeze. I can literally feel the ocean caressing my face. I close my eyes and lean against him, listening to him play. He stops suddenly, and I open my eyes. I'm staring into the face of a girl my age, with soft blue eyes and long, wavy brown hair. Small, shiny pearls are weaved into it, and a beautiful tiara sits on her head. She's wearing a bikini top made of seaweed, interesting fashion choice; the rest of her body is submerged in the cove's waters. I gasp, Peter tightens his hold on me reassuringly.

The girl smiles at me sweetly, and extends a smooth hand in my direction. I take it hesitantly, and her smile broadens.

"I'm Marina."

"Sophie."

"I know."

She turns her attention to my shimmering leg, and gasps.

"It's silver." she whispers, Peter doesn't hear her.

"Is there something wrong?" he asks, not removing his arm from around my shoulders.

She shakes her head softly and turns her attention back to us.

"No. There's nothing wrong. We need to get going before the others know I'm here."

Peter stiffens against me, "They don't know?"

Her kind face becomes agitated, "Peter, she's the first ever. How the hell do you think the rest of them will react? We're strict with tradition. With our queen having just returned, everyone is already high-strung. We don't need to add her," she gestures to me, "to the mix."

Peter sighs, "Fine. Keep her safe, I'll be back to check on her tomorrow. Deal?"

Her pleasant demeanor is returned, "Deal."

She looks at me, "This is going to hurt, okay?"

"What's going to hurt?" I ask.

Then she snatches my hand and pulls me under. I don't even have time to scream.

_**yay! another chapter! I posted this one early in honor of my newest follower, DisneyGirl10! I'm so glad you like it! I hope you all are enjoying it so far, I know I am… ;P we have yet another new character next chapter, and a few more questions are answered. P.S. to those who are wondering, Peter isn't exactly dressed like a pirate, but more like loose comfortable clothing that may or may not look like a pirate's outfit. truth be told, I dislike the idea of a guy covered in leaves haha, so he stole some clothes from the village on the beach. please review, favorite, and follow!**_


	15. the Grotto

**the Grotto**

It's like a fire is spreading up my legs and melting them down. I scream so loudly I feel like my ears are going to explode. I can't see, there are bubbles everywhere that cloud my vision. My lungs fill with salt water so I close my mouth, trying in vain to hold my breath. Is she trying to drown me? She pulls me deeper under the water. This is it. I'm going to die. At least the water is warm. I can feel myself slipping away. It's okay. I suppose I've lived long enough. I allow Marina to pull me through the water, dark spots edge into my line of sight. Soon enough, the world fades away.

* * *

><p>"What did you do?"<p>

"Nothing, Kai. She's fine, she has a pulse, she's not dead."

"But is she conscious? No. Is her tail a normal color? No. It's the color of a Royal! Dammit, Marina. You were supposed to bring a mermaid here alive and well. Harboring a halfbreed is enough, but an injured halfbreed Royal? Tell me what happened!"

Marina sighs, "I pulled her under and caught her by surprise so she wouldn't have time to back out. I knew she was in pain so I wanted it to go quickly. I forgot that she can't breath underwater during transition, so she drowned. That's all. I turned around and she was unconscious. So I brought her here."

The guy, Kai is his name I think, sighs, "What am I going to do with her?"

"Nothing. Stand guard until she wakes up, and we'll explain everything. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"To get her a new shirt."

He chuckles, "Be safe, little sister."

I can practically hear her grin, "I know, big brother."

The room falls silent, I hear Kai move to sit in a chair to my right. I'm laying on a stone cot without a blanket, but I'm warm. I roll over with a sigh, not ready to wake up and face whatever it is I have to deal with.

I feel something on my shoulder, I gasp and sit up. Kai jerks back, with a nervous smile on his face.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

We're underwater, in a grotto of sorts. It's filled with multicolored marine plants that wave softly in the underwater breeze. I'm laying on a stone slab that is pushed against the left wall of the cave, he's sitting in a chair next to me. After I take in my surroundings, I look back over to him.

He's an attractive guy, probably in his early twenties, with brown hair, tan skin, and eyes just like Marina's. Of course they're related. He's shirtless, not that it bothers me, and is wearing an odd looking pair of light blue pants that match his eyes perfectly. Then, I realize what it is. It's a tail.

He smiles again, and extends his hand, "I'm Kai."

I take it, "Sophie."

He releases my hand, glancing at my legs before looking back up at my face.

I look down too, realizing that they don't hurt anymore. I almost pass out right there, I have a tail, too. Its silver scales shimmer in the dull light of the grotto, reflecting a rainbow of colors onto the walls.

I look up at him, shock in my eyes, "What is this?"

"You're a mermaid, Sophie," he laughs, "not even a normal mermaid. You're a halfbreed and a Royal!"

He laughs again, it's slightly hysteric, and runs a hand through his hair. He sighs so roughly I see bubbles float up from his mouth.

"A Royal? A halfbreed? A mermaid? How can I breathe underwater? How the hell am I not dead? Where am I? What does-"

He laughs loudly, it fills the grotto and bounces off of the walls.

"All of your questions will be answered when Marina arrives. She'll help me explain everything."

Now it's my turn to sigh.

Just then, Marina swims through the door, a simple black bikini in her hand. Nothing like the seaweed wrap she's wearing. Her tail is the exact same shade as Kai's, sky blue to match her eyes.

Kai "stands", and swims out the door.

Marina approaches me slowly, "How are you feeling?"

I sigh, "Honestly, not amazing."

She laughs, "Yeah, I get that. Here. Your other shirt is ruined so I brought you a new one, and a matching pair of bottoms just because."

She hands them to me, and I smile at her. At least she's nice. Glancing down at my brand new crop top, torn and dirty, it seems completely out of place here. I gladly take it off, and awkwardly turn away to unclip my bra and change my shirt. The bikini top really is simple, just black cloth with strings to tie around the neck and back. It's kind of skimpy, but I'm grateful to at least have something to cover up with. I loop the bottoms around my wrist a few times, creating an awkward cloth bracelet. Oh well.

"Can I come in now?" Kai's voice drifts through the door.

Marina smiles at me, "Yes."

Kai enters the room and resumes his position on the chair, his eyes briefly travel my chest before returning to my face. Marina clears her throat and drags a second chair over to the side of my bed.

"What do you want to know?"

**_ahhhhhhh Sophie's a mermaid! thank you for all of your awesome reviews! they brighten my day and make me super happy, please keep leaving them! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, there are even more surprises coming up soon. what do you think of Kai?! as always, please review, favorite, and follow!_**


	16. How Do I Use This Thing?

**How Do I Use This Thing?**

I swing my brand new tail over the side of the bed to sit on the edge. It's even easier than moving my legs, it's lightweight. I tentatively touch it, it's smooth. I imagine this is what touching a fish feels like.

I glance back up to Marina and Kai, who are staring at me expectantly. I think long and hard before opening my mouth.

"Where am I?"

Kai leans back in his chair, his arms behind his head and a lazy grin on his face, "Marina, I'll let you take this one."

She rolls her eyes and looks at me, "This is Kai's home. I live at the palace, because I was filling in as Queen while Selene was away."

"Why did you get to do it?" I ask.

She pauses, "Because I am the closest thing Selene has to family. She is an only child, and her parents are dead. We were best friends before she," Marina swallows, "left."

"What do you mean, left?"

"To put it simply, she was to marry someone she didn't wish to marry, so she fled with her secret lover. She wouldn't even tell me who he was. They hid somewhere on the island, rumor has it they had a child. They were found then, and somehow they escaped to the Mainland where they hid for eighteen years. Selene just returned to us yesterday."

"What about her lover?"

"I'm not sure about him, but I don't think he came back with her."

"Why did she come back now?"

Marina cocks her head, "I don't know. She won't talk to anyone, not even me."

I think for a moment before asking my next question, "My mother's name is Selene, could there be a coincidence?"

Marina's eyes widen a little bit, and Kai leans forward in his chair.

"Your mother's name is Selene, and you have the tail of a Royal…"

He and Marina exchange glances.

"It does kind of add up. She came here right when Selene did…" Marina says.

"We should take her to see Selene." Kai replies.

"Hello? Right here."

Marina looks over at me, "Sorry. We can take you to see her. Is that what you want?"

"I guess. But, what if she isn't my mom?"

"Then we'll have an even bigger problem." Kai says.

I sigh, "All right. Let's do it."

Marina claps her hands together, her pearls sway with her movement, "Great!"

Kai rolls his eyes, "Not so fast. Do we just waltz up to the palace and demand an audience with the Queen herself?"

Marina pushes herself up and places her hands on her hips, "In case you've forgotten," she taps her tiara, "I was Queen just a few days ago. I think we'll be just fine."

Kai sighs and rises, running a hand through his hair, "We need a cover story."

"Why don't we just say that Sophie is a visiting diplomat from another portion of the sea? Her tail is not only silver like a Royal's, but it shimmers a rainbow of colors. She looks different from our Royals, so she can pass as one. She's special. Have you noticed the glow?"

Kai gives me a once over, "Why does it glow?"

I look down, my tail is giving off a faint aura, it makes Marina and Kai's pale in comparison.

"I don't know." I respond.

"They'll eat it right up," Marina says cheerfully, "I'll go and see what I can do. I'll be back soon."

She leaves, closing the door behind her, and I turn to Kai. He smiles at me and offers me his hand. I take it and he pulls me up off of the bed, a wicked glint in his eye.

"Try it out." he says.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"Your tail." he smiles at me.

"How do you even use it?"

I tentatively give it a flick, and shoot towards the ceiling. Shit. Kai grabs hold of my waist before I can get a concussion, and pulls me back to the ground. I let out a laugh against my will as he pulls me in to his chest.

"Don't worry," he whispers into my ear, sending delicious chills down my spine, "I'll teach you."

He releases me and I turn to face him. I try again, giving my tail a light flick. I rise up to his height, grinning like a madwoman.

"This is actually kind of fun!"

He smiles back, "Okay, think of it as a propeller. It will send you where you want to go, it's part of your body after all."

"Okay…"

I think about gliding to the door, slowly angling my tail in that direction. I take a deep breath and give it a flick. I shoot forward and right into the door, which swings open. I fly outside and smack directly into a rock wall, and am knocked onto my butt.

Kai is on me in an instant.

"Are you okay?" he asks, worry creasing his brow. He's cute when he's upset. Wait, what?

I do a quick damage check, but nothing really hurts.

"I'm fine."

I smile at him and allow him to pull me up.

"Here, let me help."

He pulls me into him, pressing my back into his chest. He gently moves his tail, and we drift forward.

"See? Nice and gentle."

I can barely focus, his touch sends electric pulses through my body. I can only nod.

All of a sudden, he tightens his hold on me and shoots forward, under a rock formation. I scream, but I hear him laughing in my ear as the water rushes past us. We emerge from underneath the rock arch, and directly into a coral reef. It's beautiful, with fish of all shapes and sizes swimming through the coral's holes. I can see every color and then some, but it doesn't last long. The fish flee as we speed towards them, hiding in any crevice they can find. Suddenly, he stops, and lets go of me. I turn to ask what's going on, but he's gone.

_**so what's up with Kai?! if you can't already tell, I posted this one early because I have a brand new follower, dancergirl829! thanks for following, and I'm very glad you are enjoying the story! pretty please review, favorite, and follow! :)**_


	17. Fish Are Friends, Not Food

**Fish Are Friends, Not Food**

"Kai?"

I pivot in a full circle, but he's no where to be seen.

"Kai?" I shout, my voice rising an octave.

Where did he go? Why would he leave me out here? I don't even know how to use this thing, much less how to get back to his house!

"Hello?" A few tears start to fall, I angrily swipe them away. No more crying. Everyone must think I'm a child.

A soft tap on my lower back sends me whirling around, and the small yellow fish jets back into the coral.

I let out a teary giggle, and practice a slow glide towards the coral.

"I'm sorry," I say, "please come back."

Am I really talking to a fish right now?

I expect nothing to happen, but the little fish pokes his head out of his hiding spot. I smile at it, and extend my hand.

"Come on out. I won't hurt you."

The fish swims forward very quickly, and weaves between my fingers.

I laugh with excitement, does it really understand me? Suddenly, the coral reef comes alive with fish, at least two hundred; and they're all swimming at me. The school ranges from tiny silver fish the size of my pinky, to large blue and yellow fish the size of my arm. I'm surrounded, they swim through my hair and around my tail, creating a colorful tornado. It tickles, I'm soon laughing uncontrollably as the fish dart around me.

"Okay, okay. Stop!"

They cease their swimming and back up, floating like little soldiers waiting for my next command. They really do understand me!

"Um," the idea hits me and brings a smile to my face, "find Kai, please."

They all jet around to the side of the reef, and I hear a shout of surprise and joy as Kai is pushed around the corner by my army of fish. He's laughing, I start to laugh, too. They deposit him in front of me, and split on either side of him.

"You guys can go back to your reef now. Thank you for your help."

They swim away to the reef, swimming through its holes and around each other.

"How did you do that?" Kai asks.

I turn my attention to him, "What do you mean?"

"They understand and obey you. How is that possible?"

I cock my head, "I don't know! It just happened. Is it not normal?"

He shakes his head, "No. Very far from normal. You're very very far from normal."

I look up at him, a grin playing on my lips, "I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"You should."

I watch them swim, the reef alive with color.

The water falls through the waves, creating shadows against the bright colors of the coral. Being here next to Kai, I don't think I could be happier. As if to prove me wrong, my fishy friends come swimming back to us. They dart through my hair and around our tails. We both burst into laughter, their fins tickling every inch of us. I could get used to this. Kai moves a little closer to me, I'm not sure, but I think we're feeling the same way right now.

I inhale a huge gulp of salt water. I'm supposed to be able to breathe underwater. But it happens again, I can't breathe. Then, that familiar fire starts burning in my legs, in reverse. It feels like my tail is being split apart. Then I realize that it actually is. I'm turning back into a human. My eyes open wide in terror, Kai pulls away.

"What's wrong?"

I'm trying to convey what's going on using my eyes, but he's not getting it. I can't hold my breath much longer. My legs are on fire, I can feel my bones shattering. Kai looks down. His face goes slack. He looks up at me again, fear in his eyes, just as I let out my last breath in an explosion of bubbles.

I'm crying again, but I can't even wipe the tears away. Darkness edges into my vision, my legs are twisting on each other as my bones form again as a set of human legs. Kai rushes forward to me, and grabs hold of my waist. He shoots up towards the surface. My vision is growing dimmer by the second. I begin to go limp against him.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but-" his voice breaks, and he pauses. I can feel the water rushing around me, and the now setting sun on my face.

"You're going to be okay."

My world goes black.

_**let's hope Sophie's okay! sorry this one is a bit shorter, you all are following so quickly I don't have time to write a chapter haha. I posted this chapter early in honor of my newest follower, hvhvg! I'm so glad you're liking the story and you decided to join our happy family! ;P I hope you liked it! a HUGE thank you to everyone who's been reviewing, it means so so much to me! remember to review, favorite, and follow! :)**_


	18. There Be Pirates

**There Be Pirates**

I'm weightless, floating on a cloud. I can't see the world below me, only miles and miles of clear, blue sky. I don't have a care in the world, I don't feel worried at all. It's nice. I know I was feeling worried about something, but I can't remember what it is anymore. I don't mind, though. I close my eyes and settle back into the soft, warm cloud.

A drop of water hits me right on my forehead, I open my eyes. My beautiful sky has turned black with storm clouds, and it is beginning to rain. A bright flash of lightning streaks across the sky, followed by a booming clap of thunder. The rain is falling hard now, I can't seem to get away from it. It fills my nose and mouth. My cloud begins to disintegrate beneath me. I'm going to fall out of the sky! Thunder cracks through the air again as the water continues to pour into my body. I begin to fall. Down, down, down, it seems as if my fall will never end. I don't scream, but I feel a sense of panic begin to well up within me. The water makes me feel so heavy…

"Sophie!"

My name? My fall slows, I can feel the water begin to ooze out of me. I don't feel so heavy anymore.

"Come on. Wake up!"

My eyes snap open, I cough violently. The water inside of me flows out of my mouth, I keep coughing until all of the water is drained from my lungs, the salt scratching my tongue.

I'm wrapped in a hug from behind, and a chin resting on top of my head.

"Thank Neptune. I thought you were dead." Kai says softly, not letting me go.

We're sitting on top of the rock Peter and I sat on earlier today, now the sun has almost set behind the mountains.

I glance around, and realize something. I'm not wearing any pants.

I remember my bikini bottoms wrapped around my wrist, and hastily pull them off.

Keeping my back to him, I say to the water, "Uh, Kai. Could you…" I make a circle motion with my finger.

He gives a strangled cough as he realizes why, "Sure, sure."

I hear him shuffle behind me as he turns his back, and when I decide it''s safe I slip them on.

"All clear."

I turn to face him as he turns to face me, and I notice he still has a tail.

"You didn't change?"

He gives me a confused look, "What do you mean?"

"To a human. Why didn't you?"

"I can't. Only half breeds can. It's a gift unique to you. After all, you're the first mermaid half breed we've ever known." he flashes a charming smile, "like I said, you're very very special."

A question pops into my head, and before I realize what I'm saying I say it, "Then how do mermaids reproduce?"

He bursts out laughing as I clap my hand over my mouth, a blush creeping up my cheeks.

"Sorry. Nevermind." I mumble.

He pulls me in to his chest, my back is to him and I lean my head against his shoulder. We stare out at the waters of the lagoon.

"To answer your question," he starts, a teasing tone in his voice, "it happens when a mermaid and a merman mate. When a mermaid falls in love, they fall hard. So mating is a really big deal. After the ceremony is completed, and the Queen gives her blessing, the couple selects a spot on Neverland to have what humans call a honeymoon. A strange force compels them to pick a certain spot, and when they do, they change. Then they, um, reproduce. As soon as the child is born, they come back to the lagoon and the child is christened by the Queen. It's a cool process, really."

"Have you ever mated?"

"No. I haven't."

"How old are you?"

Damn, I need a filter. He pauses, I can feel his heartbeat against my back as I stare up at the sky, now inky black and filled with twinkling stars. A crescent moon shines light upon the water.

"Ninety seven."

I crane my neck to stare into his face, "Ninety seven?"

He chuckles, "I'm kind of immortal, after all. You don't age in Neverland."

"Oh. Right."

I lean back against him again, he tightens his arms around me. I look at the shore, a little ways away, and notice a small, shining object buried in the sand. The moonlight makes it shimmer.

"We should get back," Kai says, "Marina will be looking for us."

"Okay. I'll meet you down there. I have to figure out how to change back."

He releases me, "Right. You remember where the house is?"

"Yep."

Before I can protest, he leans in and kisses me. Soft and gentle. The last person I kissed was Luke. Who is somewhere back home. Is he worried about me? Maybe he isn't, after I unceremoniously dumped him into the friend-zone. I can't do this. I pull away and look down.

He gently grasps my chin and pulls my face up. His eyes make me want to melt, he looks hurt and confused.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

I give a forced smile, "Nothing. There's just a lot going on, and I don't know if this," I gesture to me and to him, "is a good idea for me right now."

I don't want to explain about the last person I kissed. That didn't end well.

His expression becomes neutral, and he lets go of my chin, "I understand."

Clearly, he's upset. What did he say, mermaids fall in love very easily and very quickly? Is he falling in love with me?

"Kai, that's not what I-" I start, but he cuts me off.

"It's fine."

He turns and dives into the water without a backwards glance. I sigh and take a deep breath. It's for the best. I take off my bikini bottoms and wrap them around my wrist, and prepare myself for pain. I jump into the water, I'm engulfed in its warm caress. I cringe, hoping it doesn't hurt. A tingling sensation spreads up my legs, but it's not painful. I slowly open my eyes, and take in a deep breath. I'm okay! Glancing down, my shimmering tail gleams up at me. I give it a flick to pop my head up out of the water. I glance around, but the night is still. I paddle to the shore, and reach out to the shiny object. As soon as I pull it out of the sand, a crude net buried beneath the beach snaps up around me and lifts me high into a palm tree.

I scream, my change comes quickly, I grab my bikini bottoms as fast as I can and slide them on with quite some difficulty. I shift slightly, trying to make myself more comfortable, but I only make it worse. I take a few deep breaths, trying to remain calm. It's going to be okay. I'll be fine. I need to get help. I can't call for Kai, he hates me now. But he's the only one that knows where I am. At that moment, I hear footsteps crashing through the bushes. Glancing in their direction, I notice torches being carried through the forest. Drunken shouts of joy fill the night air as a band of pirates emerges from the trees.

"We got one!"

_**yay! new chapter! do you like Kai and Sophie as a couple, or as friends? who do you think is leading this band of pirates? ;P thank you for your awesome reviews, please keep them coming! also, hello to my newest follower, UltimateOne! I'm so glad you like it, and thank you for following, AND favoriting me and the story! remember to review, favorite, and follow! ily XOXO**_


	19. Kidnapped

**Kidnapped**

Fear rises up through my body, what will these pirates do to me? I struggle against my net, but it's not budging. The crew huddles beneath me, the torches shining ghastly shadows on their already scarred faces. I hear pieces of different conversations.

"A girl?"

"She looks young."

"A human?"

"She's kind of pretty."

"How does this help with our war, exactly?"

"Why is she at the lagoon?"

A strong, familiar voice silences their chatter, "Move it!"

A man saunters his way through the crowd, until he stands directly underneath me. He raises his torch for a better view, and recognition dawns on his face. I shoot daggers at him, I refuse to acknowledge that I have, in fact, seen him before.

He chuckles at me and turns to the rest of the pirates, "Smee!"

A voice pipes up from within the group, "Yes, Cap'n?"

Smee, as in Captain Hook's first mate?

"Let her down."

A short, fat man in a red cloth hat pushes his way out of the group to my tree, it really is him! He pushes his little round glasses up his nose and adjusts his too small blue and white striped shirt. Then that means that the familiar guy is…

No. It can't be. I look down at him, his black hair shining in the torchlight. He glances up, I look away just as his deep blue eyes land on me. Captain Hook? At that moment, Smee gets the knot undone, and my net plummets to the ground. I let out a small shriek before I land in a pair of strong arms. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding, looking up at my savior. It's him. He smiles at me, and drops me.

I land with a thump on the ground. Ouch. He flashes a charming grin at me, and extends his hand.

"Captain James Hook, and you are?"

I glare up at him, and promptly spit in his face. His crew bursts out laughing, he looks furious as he wipes my spit off of his face. I revel in my small victory, but it is short lived. He backhands me across my right cheek with a crack that silences everyone. I cry out in pain, but I refuse to let even one tear appear.

"Tie her hands and gag her." Hook orders.

His crew, confused by the sudden turn of events, is sluggish in getting to me.

"Bring her to the ship!" Hook shouts, and with one last odd look at me, he strides away. He looked angry, but there was something else in his eyes I can't place.

The men approach me, some holding bits of rope and others strips of cloth. I try to get away, but I'm no match for these big guys. I kick my leg towards a burly guy with tattoos and an eyepatch, and succeed in knocking him to the ground. He lands with a grunt, but that's as far as I can get. Two of them grab my arms, and tie them behind my back with a rough piece of rope that slices my wrists.

I struggle against it, "Let go of me!"

"Shut your mouth, bitch."

Another stuffs a bit of cloth in my mouth that tastes like fish and sweat. I almost gag but hold it in, I suppose that's why these things are called "gags". I let out a loud string of expletives muffled by the cloth, but they get the general message. Some of them chuckle, and a few others reach down to pick me up.

I lash out with my legs again, kicking one of them hard in the side of the head. He falls backwards, but another takes his place. How many are there? Gritting my teeth, I continue to writhe away from their hands.

I almost make it to the water. I try as hard as I can get there, I'm so close I can almost taste it.

"Hook! She's getting away!" one of the men shouts.

Shit. Not him. They try to grab me again, but I roll past them. I get my head into the water, then my shoulders. I'm almost there! Maybe if I could just change…

A pair of strong hands wrap around my ankles and pull hard. I let out an agonized scream as I'm pulled out of the water and directly onto Hook. He ties my ankles together, wraps his arm around my waist, and throws me over his shoulder without a word. I struggle against him but he doesn't let me go.

"Was that so hard?" he says to his crew, full of himself would hardly begin to cover what his voice conveyed.

"Let's go."

He begins to walk into the forest, not loosening his grip at all. I squirm in his arms and punch his back, but it's pointless. After a while, I give up. Trying not to cry, I stare at the ground. This sucks. My cheek is still stinging painfully. What's he going to do to me? After a few more minutes, the trees begin to thin out and we're on sand again. A part of me thinks they're letting me go, but my hope is crushed when he drops me into a small wooden boat, complete with oars and splintery wood. Ouch. He sits down across from me without even a glance in my direction, and picks up the oars.

Then, I notice his left hand. It's a hook. I almost forgot. Captain James HOOK. It's silver and gleams menacingly in the moonlight, it looks sharp enough to tear through human flesh, definitely. I shrink back a little, I'd rather not have my throat torn out by a hook. I turn my attention to his arms, which flex under his black leather trench coat as he rows. Okay, let's not look at his arms. Instead, I look at what he's wearing. Underneath his long black trench coat, he's wearing a black leather vest adorned with gold buckles, and black pants. He has tall black leather boots, and a belt with a massive golden buckle. On the belt is a sword with a diamond hilt. Very fancy.

All I would have to do to escape would be to roll off the side of the boat, is it worth it? Would I be able to get out of my bindings? What if I drown? What if I can't change? Glancing around me, I can see the island fading away, and one boat with four men in each on either side of us. At that moment, the little boat bumps into something. Craning my neck to see what it is, it's a ship. It's massive, and lit well with glowing lights from the windows. The crow's nest is adorned with the classic pirate flag, black with a white skull and crossbones that waves in the night air. Turning my attention back to Hook, I find him looking at me.

"Welcome to the Jolly Roger." he says with a charming grin.

_**Sophie's been kidnapped! what do you think of Hook? thank you to everyone who's been reviewing! also THANK YOU for 1,000 views! keep reading and I will keep writing! please review, favorite, and follow ;)**_


	20. I Can't Change, Even If I Try

**I Can't Change, Even If I Try**

After our boat is hauled onto the deck, Hook throws me over his shoulder again. I've given up trying to escape, I just hang over his shoulder as his crew looks on. He pauses and turns to them, "Don't just stand there! Turk, cook dinner! Prepare the boats!"

His crew swings into action, and he walks away. He takes me below deck, enters a room, and throws me onto a wooden cot. I'm in the brig? The room is wooden with an iron gate and massive padlock. The cot is pushed into the far right corner of the room, and there is a bucket in the left. I'm hoping it's not what I think it's for.

He roughly pulls my gag over my head. I inhale a massive gulp of fresh air, thankful for the taste of something that isn't fish and sweat.

"Let's try this again, love," he says, menace creeping into his voice, "what is your name?"

I see no point in withholding that information now, I hold his gaze, "Sophie."

I may be hallucinating, but his eyes soften a bit.

"Well, Sophie. I suppose I should explain why you get the privilege of sailing on the Jolly Roger."

The comment is out of my mouth before I can stop it, infused with sarcasm, "I wouldn't exactly call it a privilege."

Unexpectedly, he chuckles, "Feisty. I see. I'll choose to ignore your rude behavior. You're here to provoke Peter Pan. A member of my crew happened to see him flying away from the mountains with you in his arms, and him sitting with you on a rock in Mermaid Lagoon."

So that's what we heard crashing through the bushes. A smirk forms on his face, "He cares for you, so certainly he'll come to save you."

"Save me from what?"

"You'll see."

He stands and exits the room, turning to lock the gate. He gives me one last glance before striding away, and I'm alone.

Isn't this always Hook's goal? I shouldn't be surprised that he's using yet another girl to get to Peter. He needs a serious battle tactic makeover. I flop back against the cot, adjusting my body to make myself as comfortable as laying on a wooden board can get. All of that dropping has me a little sore, and my face still stings from when he slapped me. The boat rocks gently back and forth, I stare at the wooden ceiling. Almost immediately, my thoughts travel to Kai. I know I can't have him, but he still makes me happy. The thing with Kai is that he's practically a prince, there's no way I could mate with him! He's sweet and funny and kind… He deserves a normal mermaid, not a halfbreed. It would make everything so much easier anyways, for both of us. Right. But even if we could be together, I need to get over the last guy I kissed. Luke. I wish he was here, he'd know what to do.

At that moment, a knock on my gate jolts me from my thoughts. I look over to see a fat man with tattoos, a pale pink shirt, green pants, and tattered brown shoes. He has dark skin, a thick black mustache, gold earrings, and a small red fez adorning his large head.

"Dinner." he says, and slides the plate of food underneath my gate.

He walks away. I'm not going to eat that. I lay back on the cot, suddenly overtaken by a feeling of fatigue. Before I know it, the ship's movement has rocked me into a deep sleep.

—

A series of loud clangs awakes me from my slumber, followed by Hook's irritable voice.

"Get up!"  
>I slowly pry my eyes open to find him standing next to my gate, banging on it with his hook.<p>

"I'm up." I mumble.

"Today's the day," he says with a grin, approaching me, "why aren't you as excited as I am?"

I rub my eyes, "The day for what?"

"The day I finally get my revenge on Peter Pan! I'm going to chop off his hand like he did to me. Or maybe his leg. Or, better yet, his head! Come along, love, we've got work to do."

Well, he's in a jovial mood. He picks me up and throws me over his shoulder, just like he did last night. My face is really sore now. Maybe it's bruised. He did hit me pretty hard. Hook marches out of the cell and up the stairs, back out into the daylight. The sun momentarily blinds me, he uses that time to toss me onto another poorly made net. As soon as I hit the floor, the net snaps up around me, painfully crunching my legs into a very small space. Again, I'm dangling above the heads of the crew members. The net is swung out over the water, and I'm hanging ten feet above the crystal blue waves.

"This is what you call torture?" I call down to Hook, who is standing on the deck, an amused smirk on his face.

"No, love, far from it. Smee?"

I glance around for the man, and I see him at the end of a piece of rope directly beneath me. The rope is attached to my net. He looks up at me, a bit of sorrow in his eyes. What is he about to do? He pulls a small stick out of his pocket, and swipes it along a bit of sand paper. Then I realize what it is. It's a match. He lightly sets the tip of it onto my rope below me, it quickly is set ablaze. They're going to burn me alive.

_**ahhhh! what's gonna happen to Sophie?! thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, it means so so much! also, in honor of the twentieth chapter, I have created a Pintrest page with tons of pictures to help you guys picture what's going on even better, the link is in my profile! i'll be adding different pictures and things as I post chapters, so check the page if you want to find something! remember to review, favorite, and follow! :)**_


	21. In The Mood For Barbecue?

**In The Mood For Barbecue?**

A light plume of smoke begins to waft into the air, the rope is burning surprisingly fast. Soon it'll reach my net, and I'll become barbecue. This is not good. I need to get out of the net and into the water. I can change and get back to Kai. I try to pull the net apart, or rip it. I even use my teeth. All the while, the smell of smoke is filling the air and my lungs. I cough a little bit, the net isn't budging. I look up to the top of the net that is secured to the mast, it's as knotted as the rest of the net is. The smoke is making me a little lightheaded, I'm fighting for consciousness. I have to get out. I kick against the net, desperately trying to break free. It's so difficult with my bindings. My throat is burning. I can feel myself losing my grip on reality.

All of a sudden, I'm falling. The smoke wisps lightly through the blue sky as I drop towards the deck. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrap around me, and I soar back up into the sky.

"Dammit, Pan!" Hook's distant shout reaches my ears from the deck below.

I hear a chuckle in my ear as we speed back towards the island over the waves. Peter?

I slip into unconsciousness, my world fading to black.

* * *

><p>I awake to a dim commotion of voices.<p>

"Hey guys, back up. Give her air."

I crack my eyes open to find seven pairs of eyes staring at me.

"She's awake!" one shouts.

Suddenly the room is thrown into chaos, it seems no one knows what to do. Finally, Peter clears the boys out of the room and turns to me, heaving an exasperated sigh.

"Sorry," he flashes an apologetic smile, "they don't know how to behave themselves around ladies."

I let out a small giggle that turns into a wheezing cough. A look of worry crosses Peter's face as he rushes to me, patting me lightly on the back until it goes away. I lean into him, thankful for his support. My throat is so incredibly dry, it hurts to breathe.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Hook was going to burn you alive in an attempt to get revenge on me. As usual, it didn't work, but if I hadn't come he would have put out the fire anyways. He was bluffing."

"You weren't the one in the net." I reply bitterly.

I can still feel the heat of the flames crawling up my arms, and the ache of my cheek.

He chuckles, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'd just like-" I break into another coughing fit, the kind that makes you feel as if you're coughing up a lung.

He waits patiently until I'm done, soothingly rubbing my back.

"A glass of water." I finish.

"Of course!" he responds, shooting up from the bed so quickly I almost fall over.

"Be right back."

He flies through the curtain that separates the room, leaving me alone. I glance around, taking in the smooth wooden walls with shelves carved straight into them. They hold different knick-knacks and a few books. I'm sitting on a reasonably comfy bed, cloaked in cotton sheets and skins that look like they're from a bear. The pillows are very fluffy, and there is a bear pelt on the floor, serving as a rug. Overall, the room is pretty bare. The door is covered by yet another bear skin pelt that blocks my view of the room beyond.

At the moment, it moves, and a little boy steps through. He freezes as he notices my eyes on him, his little face looking as terrified as it could get. He has wavy blond hair, light green eyes, and a cherub-like face with rosy cheeks. He's dressed similarly to Peter: a white shirt, brown pants, little black boots, and a small dagger that hangs on his belt. He couldn't be older than eight.

I smile at him, "Hello."

He gives a nervous smile back, but that terrified look does leave his eyes a little, "Hi."

"What's your name?" I ask.

"Bunny." he responds.

"Bunny?" I repeat, "That's a nice name."

Now he beams at me, and takes a step forward, "What's your name?"

"Sophie." I reply.

"What's wrong with your face?"

That takes me aback, my indignation must come across as anger to him. He bolts out of the room without a backwards glance. That was odd. What's wrong with my face? I glance around the room for a mirror, and find none.

The pelt moves again, this time it's Peter. He's holding a small wooden cup, which he extends to me.

"Here."

"Thanks." I take a sip, the cool water rushes down my throat and clears away the remains of the smoke. Before I know it, I drain the small cup without a drop to spare.

"Thirsty, are we?" Peter grins.

I laugh, "Almost being burned alive can do that to you."

He laughs too, "Come on. You have some fans that are very eager to meet you."

_**more Peter! yay! I posted this chapter early because of my newest follower, jayfeather12345! thanks for following and liking the story! a few notes: the Pintrest page is only for inspiration, you can use those pictures to help you think of the appearance of the characters, but they're just ideas! also, I'm well aware that all of the guys in this story are attractive and in love with Sophie. I'm doing it to see how I like each love story, and pick the ending. so, if you're smart, you'll leave reviews about your favorite guy so you can help choose the ending! I hope you liked it, please remember to review, favorite, and follow! :)**_


	22. the Lost Boys

**the Lost Boys**

He holds out his hand for me, and I take it. I gingerly get up from the bed, and he leads me to the door. We exit the room, and we emerge into a larger area that I could best describe as a studio loft. It is also smooth wood, with a few built in shelves along the walls. Directly in front of us is a couch-looking thing that actually looks pretty comfortable. Beyond that is mountain of worn brown beanbags, above it is chute. In the right corner of the room is a table, behind it is a door. There are two other doors along the right wall, with a wooden spiral staircase leading to a trap door in the ceiling. After taking in my surroundings, my eyes land on the boys seated on the couch. There are six of them, all wearing the same expression of curious excitement.

"Boys," Peter says, a commanding, but kind, tone in his voice, "roll!"

The boys scamper up from their seats and make a neat line in front of us, standing at attention in order from tallest to shortest, staring straight ahead. They're all wearing clothes that resemble a commoner, loose and dully colored.

"Slightly!" the tallest boy shouts. He's skinny, with long blonde hair that falls into his hazel eyes.

"Nibs!" says the second boy. He's shorter than the first, with light brown hair and pale green eyes.

"Cubby!" the third calls. He's definitely chubbier than the rest of the boys, he reminds me of a teddy bear. He has dark brown eyes and ginger hair.

"Twins!" two identical boys shout in unison. They both have jet black hair and emerald green eyes.

"Bunny!" the last boy shouts, the one who came into my room earlier today. His voice shows that he is trying to sound tough, despite being the smallest of the group. At the last second, his eyes flash over to mine. They're filled with curiosity. I give him a small smile, and I see the ghost of one on his face.

I turn my gaze back to Peter, who is grinning at me.

"Your turn."

A light blush creeps up my cheeks, I turn to the boys, who are all staring at me.

"Uh, Sophie?"

I turn my quizzical look to Peter, who looks like he can't hold his explosive laughter in much longer.

"Perfect," he says, "absolutely perfect."

He swallows his chuckles, his face growing serious, "This is your home now. You'll be safe here."

Right now, that's sounding pretty good.

"At ease, gentlemen." Peter says, a teasing tone in his voice.

Almost immediately, Nibs says, "Can we go now?"

Peter chuckles at his whiny tone, "Almost. Suit up and we'll head out."

The boys scatter, shouts of joy fill the air.

Peter turns to me, a familiar spark in his eyes. He's always happy.

"You," he taps me on the nose, "are going to stay here."

"Where are you going?" I ask. I don't want to be left alone.

"On an adventure." he responds.

A pout forms on my face, "Well, what do I do?"

He glances around the room, "Clean?"

I place my hands on my hips, "Really?"

He matches my stance, a smile tugging at his lips, "Really. We'll be back soon."

"Okay, but you have to answer one question for me first."

"What's that?" he asks, childish curiosity leaking into his voice.

"Where's your leaf costume?"

He laughs, and jumps into the air, "That's a story for later."

He flies towards the chute in the ceiling, "Move out!"

The boys, now each brandishing a weapon, bolt up the wooden staircase and out the trapdoor. I turn around to look back at Peter, but he's already right behind me. I give a small gasp, and he laughs.

"Sorry. Be safe, _please_ stay here. It's really important that you do." he ruffles my hair and turns, flying up the chute.

The room is silent. I glance around, I suppose it is kind of messy. There are dirty plates littering the table, the couch's pillows are scattered around the room, and there are various items that seem like they shouldn't be on the floor. Case in point? The samurai sword.

Heaving a sigh, I step forward to the couch. It's just large pieces of fabric sewed together. I sit down, becoming absorbed in the softness of the fabric, and sinking into the plush cushions. I stand before I can get too comfortable, knowing that I might never get up.

I walk around the room, picking up the pillows. With my arms so full I can barely see over them, I make my way back to the couch. I set them down, making them look as orderly as possible, and set about looking behind the doors for where to put the other things I find.

The door behind the table at the opposite end of the room leads into a kitchen. I walk back outside and grab the dirty plates, putting them into the tin bucket that is serving as a sink on the other side of the kitchen. There are rags, plates, cups, bowls, and silverware stacked on shelves along the wall, and various foods stacked around them. There is some serious ordering needed here.

I put the food on the floor and fix up the plates and bowls, organizing the silverware and cups. After I keep them contained on half of the shelves, I reorganize the food. There are breads, apples, dried meats, and nuts. There isn't a refrigerator in sight. Well, when you live in a tree, I suppose there isn't electricity.

_**what do you think of the Lost Boys? and Peter? and Sophie being made a slave? haha I hope you liked it! interesting change of pace next chapter, get ready for some excitement! hello to my newest followers, Kris10-Marie and Miracle Jane! thank you so so much for your awesome reviews, to answer my guest reviewer: I'm not mad at you, I just wanted to clear up any confusion. don't worry about anything! :) check the Pinterest page, I posted a picture of Bunny! as always, please review, favorite, and follow! p.s. I'm sorry for posting chapters late in the evening, my show is opening in a few days and I'm really busy! after this weekend I'll be posting earlier in the afternoon, but rehearsals are running late right now! sorry! i love you!**_


	23. Running With Wolves

**Running With Wolves**

I fix up the food, and go to wash the dishes. There is a small trapdoor on the wall above the sink, with a string attached. I lightly pull the string, and as expected, clean water comes pouring out. I quickly rinse the dishes, and place them onto their stacks. I go back into the main room, humming a song that doesn't have any particular origin.

A sounds stops me in my tracks and makes my blood run cold. A howl. Those molten gold eyes flash through my mind, I shake my head to get rid of the image. Several more howls pierce the air, sounding closer than the one before. But the weird thing is, they're above my head. Am I underground?

I take a deep breath, rubbing away the goosebumps that have formed along my arms. Peter said I'm safe here, and I trust him. I enter the next room, six beds. All of them are unmade, with clothes strewn about the sheets. I set to work making the beds and folding the clothes, placing them at the foot of each one. I exit the room and go into the room next to the spiral staircase, where the boys went earlier. It's a weapons room, the walls are lined with swords, daggers, slingshots, and arrows. There are dummies and targets pushed against the far wall, and the center of the room is bare. I walk back into the main room and pick up the samurai sword, entering the weapons room and placing it on the wall. I enter the main room and survey the area, there is only one more thing on the floor. I walk over to it, and pick it up. It's a unicorn figurine made of black marble. I feel a pang in my heart as I think of Knight, this statue looks just like him. The horn is white like the star on his forehead, and the statue's features replicate him down to the last hair. The only difference is that this horse looks cruel. With its big stature, it's terrifying. I don't put it back on a shelf, but I carry it with me to the couch where I sit. I gently trace the statue's mane and tail, feeling a wave of homesickness.

The howling has died out, there are no more wolves in the area. As soon as I let myself relax, however, children's shouts fill the air.

"Sophie! Sophie!"

A rumbling noise from the chute draws my attention to it, the Lost Boys tumble through and land on the pillows beneath.

"It's Peter." Cubby says, the first to slide through.

"He's hurt." the twins add, matching looks of fear on their faces.

"Where is he?" I ask, worry creeping into my voice.

The chute continues to shake as more lost boys tumble through. The last is Peter, supported by Slightly. Slightly, to his credit, allows Peter to land on top of him as they come through the chute. His torn shirt is stained with blood, and his face is pale. He's barely conscious.

I glance around to see their eyes trained on me, waiting for instruction. I straighten my spine and meet their gazes.

"Bring him to the couch."

They swing into action, but I'm about to pass out.

I rush into the kitchen and snatch the rag I saw earlier, soaking it in water from the trapdoor. I come back into the main room to see Peter laying on the couch, it seems the blood has spread farther than it was a minute ago. I gently take off what is left of his shirt, hit with a sense of deja vu as I remember the last time I did this. That time he had been shot, this time, he's been bitten.

The bite is already infected, it takes up most of his left side. It's deep and bloody. I can clearly see where each sharp tooth penetrated his skin and was dragged out. Almost as if the attacker meant to inflict as much damage as possible. Again, those golden eyes flash in my head. No.

I gently lean forward and press the cool water against the wound. Peter awakens with a sharp gasp of pain, his eyes darting around the room before landing on me.

"Sophie." he mumbles, as if his brain can't function properly.

He winces as I continue to lightly clean up the blood. I gently run my hand up and down his arm.

"It'll be okay. You're safe."

He loosely takes my hand in his, his eyes fluttering closed.

"Safe." he whispers, before drifting back into unconsciousness.

Almost without thinking, I lean forward and kiss his forehead. He's hot and sweating, a fever has taken over.

"It was a werewolf," Slightly says next to me, as if reading my mind, "their bite is poisonous. If we don't get the cure, he'll die."

I hand my wet cloth to Nibs, and show him how to dab at his wound. Not that it's doing any good. I take Slightly's arm and pull him towards the table, away from the boys. Their expressions are heartbreaking as they stand around him, they really do love Peter.

"What do you know about werewolf bites?" I ask him, trying to keep my voice low.

"All I know is that they're deadly if they go untreated. But there's a cure."

"Well, where is it?"

He shifts uncomfortably, "The last I heard, Hook's men stole it for themselves. It's on his ship."

My heart sinks. How will we get it then? I glance back over at Peter and the boys, noticing little Bunny on the verge of tears.

I take a deep breath, "I'll get it."

"Sophie, that's a suicide mission. If Hook already did THAT to you," he says, pointing at my cheek, "there's no telling what would happen if he caught you on his ship."

My hand goes up to my cheek, which is still throbbing painfully. I had been able to ignore it until now.

"What's wrong with it?" I ask.

"You don't know?"

My expression must be one of NO, DUH, because he continues hastily.

"It's really badly bruised. Like, green, purple, and black bruised. Did Hook do that to you?"

I think back to when he kidnapped me, and slapped me.

I lightly touch it, my voice comes out as a quiet whisper, "Yes."

"That village is full of men who will do who knows what to a girl like you, and Hook is dangerous. Especially when you make him mad. Peter won't be there to help you this time, and we don't have Terence, either."

"Who's Terence?"

He awkwardly looks away, "Nobody. I don't want you to go. Peter wouldn't want you to go."

I place my hands on my hips, "Well, Peter doesn't have much of a say in this, does he? Do you have a better idea?"

He's quiet for a moment, then he looks back up at me, "No."

"Then it's settled. I'll leave at dawn."

so Hook slapped Sophie so hard he gave her a bruise… ouch. also, PETER'S SICK ahhhhhh! thank you thank you to my newest follower, . . (love your username by the way). starting today, I'll be posting what I can only describe as "ship songs", the song that describes the relationship between two characters. the very first ship song I'm posting is…drumroll please… Peter and Sophie! check my profile page, I'll have the song name and artist for you! my advice would be to listen to the song when the two characters for that song are having a magical moment, it'll bring it all together. ;P as always, please review, favorite, and follow, and I hope you enjoyed!


	24. the Cure

**the Cure**

Slightly decides the best course of action is to dress me like a boy, and make me remain inconspicuous as I get to Hook's ship. When the men get off the ship for a drink at the pub, I'll sneak on, grab the cure, and get off before they come back. The only problem is, I have no clue what the cure looks like or where it is.

I tuck my long, now knotted blonde hair up into a pageboy cap the boys have laying around, and pull on some of Peter's clothes. They're a bit big on me, but they smell like him. In the end, I'm wearing a big white shirt, some loose-fitting brown pants, and leather boots that are too big on my feet. Oh well.

There are no mirrors here, so there's no telling how convincing I look. But the boys assure me I look perfectly manly, and Slightly prepares his backpack for the trek to the village. He's insisted on being my escort.

"Ready?" he asks, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Almost."

I cross over to Peter, who we wrapped with bandages last night. I gently brush his hair off of his face. He awakes again with a sharp gasp, his eyes finding mine.

"Why are you wearing my clothes?" he mumbles.

"I'm just going to run an errand." I say, my stomach twisting as I lie to him.

"Hmm," he sighs, "don't go outside."

"Why not?"

"Because, Aleksander…" he slips back into his dream world before he can finish his sentence.

"What was he going to say about Aleksander?" I ask Slightly.

"I don't know." he responds, shrugging.

I turn and wave goodbye to the boys, and make my way towards the staircase with Slightly.

Bunny comes barreling into my legs, hugging my thighs fiercely. I turn and bend down to him, and he wraps me in a hug. I can already tell he's crying.

"You'll be fine. I'll be back soon." I say, rubbing his back.

He sniffs and pulls away, wiping his eyes, "Please find the cure."

I smile at him, "I will. Promise."

I hold out my pinky, and he takes it in his. My promise makes him smile through his tears.

With one last glance at Peter asleep on the couch, Slightly and I climb the staircase into a new world.

We unlatch the trapdoor and climb out, Slightly first, and he places it back in its hole in the ground.

"How does nobody find it?" I ask. The trapdoor isn't exactly camouflaged.

"That's the thing," Slightly says, a spark in his eyes, "the hideout moves every night. We don't know how, but the island feels the need to protect Peter."

We start to walk through the lush forest, the sun is just beginning to rise. Slightly seems to know exactly where he's going, so I follow without questions.

"So how do you find it once it moves again?"

"The island points the way, but only for those with good hearts. If one has bad intentions, the island will keep us hidden."

"Interesting."

We walk in silence, Slightly holding up the leaves of large plants so I can pass.

"How long will our walk take?"

Slightly is quiet for a moment, thinking, "The island has made our distance short for us, we should be very close. The hideout is hidden only ten minutes from the village, if we walk in this direction."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. You develop that sense of direction the longer you live on the island. Peter's very good with that, you know."

We lapse into silence again, all that can be heard is the squawking of birds and the sound of our boots stepping on the damp ground.

Soon enough, the smells of smoke and food waft through the air. By this time, the sun has risen a little more, it's time for breakfast. As if to remind me, my stomach rumbles a little bit. Thankfully, Slightly doesn't notice.

"We're close," he says quietly, crouching on the ground, "get down."

I get low next to him and we shuffle forward, "No one is brave enough to go into the woods except for the Lost Boys, the people will know who we are if they see us coming out of the forest."

"Why does it matter?" I ask.

"Hook has a bounty on our heads. The townspeople need the money, so if they find us they'll bring us to him. Our whole mission will be compromised."

"I understand."

We get to the very edge of the trees, and duck behind a bush. Slightly peers over the top of it, and motions for me to join him. I peer over the top of the bush at the narrow alley. Many bars back up to it, so it's deserted and full of trash. I can smell it from here. The buildings are made of wood, with chimneys of stone. This place is very uncivilized.

"When no one is in this back alley, you need to start walking. Get out of the alley and into the streets, keep your head down. If you get out of this alley and walk straight, it'll lead you right to the docks. Do you remember what Hook's ship looks like?"

I nod my head.

"Great. Wait until the men get off of the ship, then get on. Find the cure and get out before they find you."

_**ooh what's gonna happen?! please let me know if you like the idea of the songs, it's a new thing I'm trying and I want your feedback! I just want to extend a warm welcome to all of my readers from the U.S., the U.K., Greece, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy, Germany, Norway, France, Brazil, Puerto Rico, China, and Russia (quite a lot of different countries)! I'm so glad you guys are liking and reading my story! I hope you enjoyed, if you did please review, follow, and favorite! :)**_


	25. Blueberry Muffins

**Blueberry Muffins**

Slightly gives me an awkwardly reassuring pat on the shoulder, and disappears back into the trees. I take a deep breath, and start walking down the hill to the alley. My feet hit the hard-packed dirt of the streets. Keeping my head down, I emerge from the alley and onto the main street. It's not very busy, everyone is eating breakfast. I keep my walk fast-paced. I pass identical rows of bars and houses, each made of wood and smelling delicious. I haven't eaten in a few days now. Before I know it, I'm stopping to look through the open window of a bakery.

A woman is inside behind the counter, taking a tray of fresh muffins out of the oven. She is wearing a white apron, and a typical brown dress. She has a white bonnet around her brown hair, streaked with gray. She sets the tray on the counter, and gently removes each muffin from the tray and onto a platter. Then she looks up, and our eyes lock. Her's are a deep, warm brown, soft and kind. She smiles at me.

"Are you hungry?"

"Uh, no, I'm fine." I respond, and begin to back away from the window.

She plucks a muffin from the platter and approaches me slowly, my feet are rooted to the dirt road. She hands the muffin to me.

I try to hand it back to her, "I don't have any money. I can't pay for this."

"It's alright. I can tell you're hungry, a full stomach is all the payment I need."

I'm quiet, it's not like I'm going to deny the fact that I really do just want to eat this muffin in one bite.

"Thank you." I say.

She smiles at me, "You're welcome. I hope you enjoy it."

I smile at her, turn away, and continue my walk down the street. I slowly unwrap it and take a small bite, it's blueberry. The sugar melts on my tongue, the heat of the muffin warms my stomach. Before I can stop myself, I've eaten it all.

The few people out on the streets don't acknowledge me, and for that I'm thankful. They move at a slow pace. They're probably half asleep, it's still early. I throw my wrapper away in a trash can outside of a pub.

Hook's ship is the biggest, it's not hard to spot it. I slowly walk forward, trying to figure out if the crew is on board. I don't hear anything, so I hesitantly step onto the gangplank. It creaks a little, but there is no other sound from the ship. I get on to the deck. I spot the door that leads to the brig where I was kept. I have to be quick about this. I have no idea where the cure could be located.

I step towards the first door, but it's locked. I try the next door, and it opens. Stepping inside, it leads to a staircase. I climb down into the darkness, fumbling for a light switch before I realize there probably isn't one. In the dim light, I can only make out large shapes. Maybe I'm in a cargo hold? I reach out to touch one, and am met with wood. A crate. I turn around, knowing I won't be able to find anything down here in the dark. I have to hurry.

I climb back up the stairs and into the sun, to see a man coming out of the door on the other side of the deck. He's big and bulky, covered in scars, and is wearing an eyepatch over his right eye. He has a brown jacket on to shield him from the morning air. I freeze, but he notices me.

"What are you doing on this ship, boy?" he asks, a sneer forming on his gnarled features.

Trying to keep my voice as low as possible, I say, "I'm looking for work. Is your captain around?"

I don't sound convincing at all, I try to keep my head down.

He guffaws and walks closer to me, "Work," he yanks off my hat and my blonde hair goes tumbling down my back, "for a woman?"

I've been caught. This is not good.

He continues to laugh at me, and forces my chin up to meet his gaze.

"Aye, you're still pretty with a bruised face. Hook's a bastard, isn't he? Hitting women that hard."

This man was there the night I was kidnapped. He remembers me. He slaps me then, right on that aching bruise. Pain shoots across my face, tears jump to my eyes, but I don't let them fall. He leans forward so I can smell his breath, it's foul.

"I would've hit you harder."

He snatches my wrist and pulls me towards the mast, "I believe a little punishment is in order, for sneaking onto the great Captain Hook's ship and raiding the hold?"

"I wasn't stealing anything." I mumble.

"Contradiction now, lass? That wasn't wise."

He ties my hands together above my head with a piece of rope he pulled from no where, my back is to him and my stomach is pressed against the wood. I try to wriggle free, but I can't.

What is he going to do to me? I hear something slap against the deck, and he lifts the back of my shirt up around my shoulders. The whip cracks down between my shoulder blades, and cuts deep. A bloodcurdling scream shatters the peaceful silence of the dock. It's me. I'm screaming. I let out another scream of pain and shock as it comes down again, I can feel it slicing my skin. I start to sob, my back becoming numb to the blinding pain. My screams echo along the dock, maybe someone will hear and come to my rescue. He cracks the whip down onto my back again and again. I can tell he's enjoying every moment of this. My blood trickles down my back, soaking Peter's pants and the deck below. My hair brushes over the open wounds, sending stinging sensations along my back. I can't feel the sharp pain of the whip anymore. I can't feel anything at all. I've given up on screaming, no one will be able to save me now. The morning light begins to fade into darkness. Perhaps the sun is setting on this nightmare. I hope Peter's okay. Maybe the cure will be sent to him. Maybe Slightly will come back for me. That's all I can hope for. It may be too late now.

"Klaus!" a thundering voice pierces the morning air.

Hook storms across the deck, slamming Klaus to the ground with a force that shakes the ship. He's furious. His hook slices through the rope on my hands. Before I can drop to the floor, he picks me up and carries me to safety. Then the light blinks out, and I'm covered by darkness.

_**what's Hook gonna do to her?! I hope you enjoyed, now I'm really craving a blueberry muffin… please review, favorite, and follow! :)**_


	26. Captain's Cabin

**Captain's Cabin**

It's cold, I'm covered in silky sheets and am lying on my stomach. The thing that wakes me up, however, is the throbbing ache of my back and face. I pry my eyes open to discover a richly decorated bedroom, with deep red velvet curtains that are pulled open to let the little light that's outside in. From what I can see, the sky is gray and cloudy. I'm half naked from the waist up, but crisp white bandages wrapped around my torso provide some coverage. I'm wearing some soft cotton pants that are a bit big on me, and my boots are gone.

I try to shift a little, but a screaming agony in my back causes me to let out a sharp gasp of pain. Which causes the man next to me to shift in his sleep. I have to bite back another scream. What the HELL is a guy doing in my bed?

Then I reconsider. This isn't my bed. Is it his? But hey, he's kind of cute. Strong jawline with just the right amount of stubble, thick black hair… Oh my god. It's Hook. Captain Hook is sleeping next to me? He doesn't look as harsh when he's asleep. I need to get out of here. Slowly my memories come back, I have to go to Peter. I have to get the cure! But where is it?

As if answering my thoughts, a bottle sitting on a desk at the opposite end of the room draws my attention. A little voice in my head is telling me that it's the cure. The bottle is the size of my pinky, and is made of blue glass that shows the clear liquid within. I have to find out if that liquid really is the cure. Already, a plan starts to form in my head.

My eyes flick back over to Hook, who, to his credit, is sleeping on top of the sheets. At least he has a little courtesy. More memories come flooding in, the whip, the pain, the blood, the screams. I can't move without feeling an intense pain in my back, so I lay still and wait, watching Hook sleep. He's wearing only a pair simple pants that look a lot like the ones I'm wearing. Am I wearing Hook's pants? He's shirtless, which gives me a pretty nice view of his broad chest and big arms, with a few battle scars here and there. He's not wearing his hook. He really does look peaceful, his features aren't as cruel as they are when he's awake. He's a good-looking guy overall, I suppose.

All of a sudden, his eyes snap open with a gasp, making me jump. It sends shocking pain through my back, I let out a small cry of pain that causes worry to flash through Hook's groggy eyes. I take deep breaths, willing the pain to go away.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, my voice hoarse. I press myself into the bed, trying to hide the obvious fact that I'm kind of half-naked.

"This is my room," he says with a smirk, his worry about me forgotten, maybe I imagined it, "I believe the question is, what are YOU doing here?"

I pause, "I don't know."

I don't really remember anything past that whip.

He gives me an odd look and turns away, crossing to the wardrobe in the far corner of the room. He opens it and removes a light cotton shirt, which he slides over his head. Just then, there's a knock on the door. Hook makes an irritated noise and walks to the door, which he pulls open. He blocks the opening so I can't see who's outside. He begins to speak to whoever it is, I think it's a man, I can't make out what he's saying. Finally, Hook turns and enters the room again. There is a tray laden with food, biscuits, bacon, eggs, and two cups of orange juice. My stomach rumbles loud enough for Hook to hear, he chuckles as he sets the tray on the desk.

"Hungry?"

"Uh-huh."

I haven't eaten a full meal in days, only a blueberry muffin. He picks up a piece of bacon and pops it into his mouth, and brings me my cup of orange juice. How am I supposed to drink this? I can barely move as it is. He holds it out to me and I take it, barely being able to lift my head from the pillow. I dumbly hold on to it, not sure what to do.

"Do you know how to drink?" he asks, a mocking tone in his voice.

His tone makes me get angry, so mine is full of more malice than I intend, "I'm kind of immobile and half-naked at the moment thanks to one of your crew members, so I'm sorry for not being able to drink orange juice, CAPTAIN."

He looks a little taken aback by my sudden harshness, "Then I hope you have a grand time starving."

With that, he picks up the tray of food and strides out of the room, leaving me alone with my cup of juice. Dammit. I prop the cup against his pillows, laying back down on the bed. My back doesn't hurt nearly as much as it did when I woke up, I was probably just stiff from sleeping. I tentatively turn on to my side. Maybe my wounds aren't as horrible as I thought. My stomach rumbles again, a reminder that the breakfast Hook walked out with was actually much needed.

_**so Sophie's kind of immobile, and Hook's gonna let her starve! quite the pirate… I wrote a quick chapter and posted early to wish you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! please eat tons of pumpkin pie just for me. I hope you enjoyed, please review, follow, and favorite! :D**_


	27. Suspicions Confirmed

**Suspicions Confirmed**

Slowly, I roll onto my back, propping myself up against the plush pillows. My back is hurting like it's broken. I pull the sheets over myself. Surveying the room, it really is nicely decorated. The walls are wooden, with a heavily marked map of Neverland hung on the wall next to the wardrobe. The desk is a clutter of paper and ink quills, with the bottle sitting on the back corner. Next to the mirror. I shoot forward as much as my back will allow, I can barely recognize myself. My entire right cheek is black and blue with a huge, painful bruise. My hair is messy and knotted. I lightly comb my fingers through it, working out the knots. Now, I look kind of presentable.

At that moment, there is a knock on the door. I can't exactly get up to answer it, so I hesitantly call, "Come in?"

It is cracked open by and older man with kind, watery blue eyes. He smiles at me and I cautiously smile back. He's holding a needle, thread, and a loose cotton shirt in his hands, along with a biscuit and a steaming mug. He closes the door behind him.

"I noticed Hook storming away with breakfast, you never got any, did you?"

"No, I didn't." I respond.

He approaches me and hands me the biscuit. I thankfully take a huge bite, it's warm and buttery. Yum.

"Thank you." I say around the pastry.

He chuckles, "Of course." He picks up my orange juice and places it on the desk, next to the mug of coffee.

I finish my biscuit and wipe my hands on Hook's side of the bed. A small bit of revenge, but it's revenge all the same.

The old man extends his hand to me, and I take it, "I'm Henry, but most people call me Bones."

"Why Bones?" I ask curiously.

"I'm the ship surgeon, Bones is fitting for me and my occupation, I presume."

"I'm Sophie." I reply.

"It's nice to meet you. I just need to check your stitches, and I'll be on my merry way. Could you lay on or stomach, please?"

"Uh, sure."

After painstakingly slow movements, I manage to roll onto my stomach with minimal issues.

"Prop yourself up on your elbows, please."

I hold myself up as well as I can, my back aching. Henry gently unwraps my bindings, I'm feeling pretty self-conscious about being completely topless now.

I quickly lay back down, pushing myself into the sheets. I can feel him softly pressing his fingers into various spots along my back, each touch stinging my skin.

After a few minutes of silence, he says, "You're healing very well. You'll be able to walk soon. I thought you would be out for a longer time, but it's only been a day."

"A day?!" I gasp, Peter might die soon if I can't get that cure to him. If I can't walk, how can I?

"Please don't move too suddenly, you'll rip your stitches. What's wrong?"

"I-" I bite my tongue. I don't want to tell Henry about Peter being sick yet, he works for Hook after all.

He's quiet for a moment, "Peter's sick, isn't he?"

I stiffen, "What are you talking about?"

"The island has dropped into winter, which can only mean something bad has happened to him."

Something about this old man makes me want to trust him, so I take a deep breath, "It's a werewolf bite. I came here to get the cure for him."

He stills in his movements, "A werewolf bite? How many days has he been sick?"

"Today, it'll be three."

"He doesn't have much time, then." he mutters to himself more than to me.

"Can you help me?" I ask.

"I-" he pauses, as if choosing his words, "The captain wants Peter dead, but then he would have nothing to live for. Especially if Peter doesn't die by his own hand. I will help you. The captain won't like it, but in the end, it's for the best."

We fall silent, him continuing to check and fix my stitches.

"You can roll onto your back now."

I slowly twist onto my back, propping myself up against the pillows and pulling the sheets up against the chilly morning air. Henry hands me the cotton shirt, which I gratefully slide over my naked torso. He crosses to the desk and picks up the bottle, just as I suspected.

"This," he holds the bottle up to the dim sunlight so it shimmers, "is the cure for a werewolf bite. I'll make sure this gets to him."

I relax back onto the bed, "Thank you."

He smiles at me and tucks the bottle into his jacket.

"I'll be back later to check on you."

"Okay."

He turns and exits through the door, closing it behind him. With Peter safe, I fall asleep.

**_do you think the cure will get to Peter? do you think Sophie will get better? dum dum dimmmmmmmm I'm sorry this chapter is so short, I've been REALLY busy lately and I'm doing the best I can! remember to review, favorite, and follow! :)_**


	28. Nightmares

**Nightmares**

The door is cracked open, and Henry steps inside. He has a solemn look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I ask, a knot forming in my stomach.

"It's Peter," he sighs, "we weren't able to get the cure to him on time."

My world stops. The cold seeps into my body and I don't try to fight it, my thoughts come and go, like a stop motion film. Peter. Dead. Bunny. Alone. I failed.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out the cabin, the world, everything.

I feel a wetness on my face, I open my eyes to find myself in the middle of the forest, it's raining. A figure sits on the ground beneath a tree, shivering in the cold air. It's Bunny, staring into space. I rush forward to help him, but he doesn't move or blink. He just stares. He has prominent dark circles under his eyes, he's covered in dirt, and his clothes are in tatters.

"Bunny? Bunny, answer me."

He extends a hand and points in the direction he's staring at. A small stone sits in front of us, I didn't notice it before. There are words written on it: _Peter Pan_. It's a gravestone.

A howl pierces the air, followed by a few more. They're close. I glance down at Bunny, but he's staring in a new direction. I follow his gaze to find a wolf. It's massive, with a jet black coat, sharp fangs, and molten gold eyes.

It's him.

He crouches, baring his teeth. Bunny lets out a terrified whimper. Then it pounces with a mighty roar, Bunny screams my name.

* * *

><p>I awake with a jolt, the nightmare fading into the darkness. Tears are streaming down my cheeks, soaking my pillow. The ship's cabin is as cold as ever. I huddle beneath the sheets, trying to stay warm. I'm shivering uncontrollably, my teeth chattering together.<p>

_It was just a __dream_.

Turning my head, I find Hook sleeping next to me. This time, underneath the covers. It's that cold, I suppose. He has an extra blanket draped over him, he looks quite warm. Slowly, I shift my weight closer to him. I can feel the heat radiating off of him, it's like a blanket. I softly press my sore back against his bare chest, thankful for the soothing heat he provides. I pull his blanket over me. He wakes up then, with a soft moan. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me deeper into his chest. He sighs into my hair and falls back asleep. Soon enough, I muster up the courage to sleep, too.

* * *

><p>Slightly's face is one of pure fury, he grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me hard.<p>

"Why did you let him die! How could you do that to us! We trusted you, Sophie!"

I can't get away, he won't let go.

"I'm sorry!" I shout, tears forming at the corners of my eyes.

"Sorry? SORRY? Sorry doesn't begin to cover what you've done. You've killed him, this is all your fault. If he hadn't been trying to protect you he wouldn't have gotten bitten in the first place!"

"I'm sorry!" that's all I can seem to say.

"You're going to be punished." Slightly growls.

With one swift movement, he pushes me by the shoulders, and I fall backwards into a pit. I shriek as I fall, the tunnel of light above growing smaller and smaller until I can't see it anymore.

"Sophie! Wake up!"

I wake up screaming. Hook is on top of me, shaking me by the shoulders, worry creasing his tired brow.

I burst into tears, sobs wrack my body. I really did kill him. Henry never was going to give Peter the cure, he tricked me. Hook heaves a sigh and mutters something that sounds like, "Bloody hell."

He pulls me into his chest, rocking back and forth as I cry.

"It's all my fault."

"What's your fault?"

"He's going to die because of me. They won't have a leader anymore. They'll be alone. Bunny…" I sniff, my tears slowing.

He stiffens, "Who is going to die?"

I can't tell him about Peter. What am I doing? I pull myself off of him and wipe away my tears quickly, pulling my sheet up to my chest to block out the frigid air.

"No one. I was just dreaming."

He quirks an eyebrow at me, "Okay, love. I'll be going back to sleep then."

Seriously? I know he's a pirate, but I thought he would have a heart at least. He probably just wanted me to shut up so he could go back to bed. I need to stop thinking everything he does is out of kindness. I sigh. I need a hug.

Dawn is approaching, but we still have a few more hours. There is no way in hell I'm going back to bed. He leans back against his pillows and turns away from me, pulling his blanket around his shoulders. I lay back against the bed, not bothering to get comfortable. Soon, Hook's breathing evens out, and he's asleep.

I slowly push myself up into sitting position, my back complaining at my movements. I place my feet on the cold wooden floor. Taking a deep breath, I stand up from the bed, gritting my teeth. Hunched like an old woman, I take a few hobbling steps towards the window. I reach it and peer through.

We're still docked. The village is right in front of me, I can almost taste that blueberry muffin. Beyond it, the jungle of Neverland grows wild and unkempt, keeping Peter from me, and the cure.

_**Sophie's having nightmares and Hook won't even try to comfort her! I hate pirates sometimes… thank you to my newest follower, ThatWeirdGirlOverThere! I'm happy you like the story! remember to review, favorite, and follow, I hoped you enjoyed! :)**_


	29. Makeover

**Makeover**

With one last glance at Hook's sleeping form, I pull on my boots, open the door, and step into the crisp morning air. Instantly, the wind penetrates the little covering I have on, and I'm freezing. It seems the island is growing colder by the day. Snow will fall soon, it's in the air.

I smack right into somebody, it's Henry.

His eyes grow wide, "What are you - why can - how are you able to walk?"

His stunned gaze makes me feel uncomfortable, "Am I not supposed to?"

Henry shakes his head, "No, no my dear. You weren't supposed to be walking for another week, at least! With the cuts he inflicted on you, it's a miracle you can even move. You're healing faster than a pixie!"

"I'm what?"

He pauses, speaking to me as if I'm two, "Pixies have special healing properties, their bodies can heal things like a broken bone in a matter of days."

I let that sink in, "Wow."

He chuckles, "Wow, indeed."

I take him lightly by the arm, and pull him away from Hook's door.

"Did you get the cure to-"

Hook's doors are thrown open with a force that almost rips them from their hinges. His expression is one of worry and anger, but it melts as soon as he sees Henry and I standing outside of his door. Was that relief that just flickered in his eyes?

I hold his burning gaze, refusing to look down at his heaving bare chest just inches in front of my face. I have to remember that he doesn't care. He doesn't. He can't.

"What are you doing out here?" he asks, still slightly upset.

"Henry is taking me in to town." I lie quickly.

Something that looks like worry flashes through his eyes before it is replaced by the usual: annoyance and that slight hint of arrogance.

Henry shoots me an irritated glance, "Just for some clothes, Captain."

Hook turns his eyes away from me and focuses on the kind man, if looks could kill.

"We'll be back before noon." Henry says, trying to soothe the pirate. He's not afraid of him, and Hook senses it.

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair, "Fine. That's fine."

He turns and strides into his cabin, slamming the doors behind him.

"Come on, then." Henry says.

We slowly make our way down the gangplank, my back hindering my movements quite a bit, my arms stinging with the cold air.

"I'm sorry." I blurt, as soon as we're out of earshot.

He sighs, "It's alright. I know why you did it," he responds, finally taking in my mismatched outfit, "we might as well get you some clothes anyways."

We finally make it to the village, we waste no time in getting clothes. Henry and I settle on a tight fitting, loose sleeved white shirt, with a red sash tied around the waist. We select a pair of tan breeches, and knee high black leather boots. Henry hands me my bikini top, spared by Klaus' whip. It hits me then that I've been wearing my bikini bottoms as a bracelet this whole time. I hadn't even noticed.

We walk to the bathhouse at the end of the village, it backs right up to the forest. I glance into the trees, seeing a little movement by a bush. It's nothing. I duck into the bathhouse and take a much needed bath, my wounds stinging with the clean water. After I soap up and wash my hair, I dry off and climb out. There's a full length mirror along one wall of the dingy place, but I don't dare to try and catch a glimpse of my back. I don't want to know how bad it is. I can feel the rows of stitches, too many to count. Instead, I pull on my brand new clothes, my bikini underneath.

Glancing in the mirror, I find that I look like a pirate. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. But on the bright side, I look like I belong in the village. I comb my fingers through my growing hair, it's almost to my waist now. Picking up Hook's shirt and pants, I walk back to Henry, who is waiting outside.

"Much better." he says, a smile on his face. His eyes flick briefly over my shoulder, towards the forest, so fast I almost miss it. I turn, and spot what was in the trees earlier. It's Slightly.

I look back at Henry, who is holding the cure out to me.

"Thank you." I whisper.

"Be quick." he responds.

I move as fast as my legs can carry me without ripping my stitches.

I place the bottle in his hand, "Here's the cure. Make sure Peter drinks all of this."

He nods his head, "Does that mean you get to come back soon?"

I feel a sharp pang of guilt in my chest; they've been alone this whole time, caring for Peter. I have to go back. I can't leave until my back heals, but it looks like that won't take long.

"Yes. As soon as I can."

I'm not going to tell him about my wounds yet.

He smiles at me, "We'll be waiting."

"Goodbye." I reply.

"Bye."

He takes off into the forest, the bottle clutched tightly in his hand.

I heave a sigh and turn to find Henry right where I left him, watching me. I walk back to him, the adrenaline of seeing Slightly draining out of my body and leaving me with a sore back.

"Let's go." Henry says. He takes Hook's clothes and we walk back to the ship and climb the gangplank. Only one thought is going through my head, over and over.

_I have to get out_.

_**yay! new chapter! I posted this one early because TWO THOUSAND VIEWS oh my gosh I'm so happy I haven't even had the story posted for two months and I'm overwhelmed considering this is my very first story. THANK YOU SO MUCH! also, thank you to mew sunsetstar for following! I hope you enjoyed, there is a new Pinterest post to help you envision Sophie's new outfit. as always, thank you for your awesome reviews and remember to review, favorite, and follow! :)**_


	30. Swashbuckler

**Swashbuckler**

We climb aboard, my feet hitting the wooden deck. Henry mumbles something about going to help Turk with dinner, smiles at me, and disappears through a door. I glance around, no one is on deck. I'm all alone. My eyes flicker to Hook's cabin doors, but I look away.

My new outfit makes me feel as if I belong on the crew, I feel a bit stronger. I just need a weapon to go with it. I glance around the deck, until my eyes land on a sword resting on top of some barrels. It's nothing special: basic silver blade, and a simple hilt. Perfect. I approach the sword, glancing around to make sure no one notices. The setting sun makes the sword shimmer, it seems to be calling my name. I pick it up. It fits well in my hand, I can feel the steady weight of it on my palm.

Playfully, I step forward and slash the sword through my imaginary foe. Letting out a small laugh, I continue to dance about my enemy, stabbing as I go. I almost trip over myself a few times, making me laugh even harder.

"What do you think you're doing?"  
>I turn, startled, to find Hook standing behind me. He's dressed in his usual outfit, complete with his diamond-hilted sword and typical smirk. His eyes briefly glance up and down my body, taking in my new outfit. An idea hits me then, and brings a teasing smile to my face. I'm not afraid of him. If Henry isn't, why should I be? I may be injured, but he won't hurt me. I think. I'll take my chances.<p>

"Sword fighting, Captain. What does it look like?"

He cocks his head, trying to decide my motive.

"You know, I figured," I continue, running the blade across my fingers, "that maybe the great Captain Hook could teach me a thing or two?"

I don't look away from him, his hand slowly travels to the hilt of his sword. A charming smile spreads across his face.

"Well, from the looks of you, love, you've got quite a lot to learn."

In the blink of an eye he whips out his sword and touches the point of it to my chest. My shocked expression betrays my confident facade.

"Rule number one," he says, his voice dropping to a whisper, "always be on your guard."

I swing my sword up and into his, knocking it from my chest with a clang. He steps back as I point my sword at him.

"Rule number two," he says, "never back down."

He lunges and aims for my stomach, I block his thrust.

"Not bad." he chuckles, a wicked glint in his eye.

We continue in that way, thrusting and blocking, neither of us clearly winning. I'm actually quite impressed with myself for keeping up with him. He's a skilled fighter, I'll give him that much. I know he's going easy on me because of my back, but if we were actually fighting I would definitely lose. He has a flesh-slicing hook, after all.

We're both covered in a light sheen of sweat and breathing hard, but we're happy. This is really helping me take my mind off of things.

_Thrust_.

_Miss_.

_Parry_.

_Jab_.

_Block_.

_Stab_.

_Miss_.

Hook stabs forward with a sudden vengeance, I lose my balance and stumble forward. He drops his sword before it can impale me, thankfully. His strong arms pull me back on to my feet, but he doesn't let me go. Both of us are trying to catch our breath, I can feel his chest heaving beneath me. I tilt my head to look up at him, he's already staring down at me. Those stormy blue eyes send tingles up my spine.

"Um, thanks."

"Mmhmm."

We just stare at each other. Drinking in the other's features. Could he really be so bad? Could the great Captain Hook be nothing but a misunderstood pirate? Henry can see the good inside of him, so I know it's there. I can feel the tension growing in the air, so thick I could slice it with my sword. Electricity is buzzing between our bodies, begging me to close the little distance there is between us. He can feel it too, I can tell. His cold metal hook is pressing into my lower back, his other arm around my shoulders. Inch by inch, our bodies move closer. Slowly, slowly, slowly. The tension rises higher and higher, the setting sun fueling our excitement.

The thought flies into my head so fast I almost gasp.

Bunny.

Peter.

I have to get back.

I shouldn't be doing this.

He's the enemy.

I pull away so quickly I almost fall backwards. The tension snaps like a rubber band, my sword clatters to the ground. I can't. I just can't.

I look back up at him, that new, kind expression has been replaced by cold eyes.

"This lesson is over." he growls.

Before I can speak he strides past me to his cabin, slamming the doors behind him.

A sick feeling rises up through my stomach. What just happened? I walk to the side of the ship, leaning over the water. The sun is almost completely gone, it turns the water an orange color. The sea breeze softly blows across my cheeks, bringing my body temperature back to normal.

The ocean flows far beneath me, making me think of Kai and Marina. What if Queen Selene really is my mom? How did she get here? Does she know I'm here, too? Does she care? And Kai… I wonder what he's doing. Are they thinking of a plan to save me right now? Do I even need saving? Too many questions.

The sun sinks below the ocean, allowing the stars to twinkle overhead. It hits me then, the night is warm. Summer is back. Peter's alive. The thought sends a happy tremor through my body, he's okay! I can go back and help him heal, I can help the Lost Boys care for him. Maybe Peter can answer my questions.

A white light the size of a tennis ball floats up from beneath the deck, followed by many more. Soon, the black night is filled with the white lights, floating through the air. They must be fireflies. There are hundreds of them, softly drifting along in the breeze. It's beautiful. I reach out to touch one, but I fall.

_**cliffhanger much? ;P Sophie has a brand new outfit and attitude, watch out Hook! also, I'm posting Sophie and Hooks' ship song! *confetti cannon* yay! song name and artist are on my profile, think of them when you read it ;) if you enjoyed, please review, favorite, and follow and I'll love you forever!**_


	31. Bloodstains

**Bloodstains**

My world seems to move in slow motion as I tumble over the side of the deck to the dark water below. I let out a scream as I drop towards the ocean, splashing into the cold water. The sea pulls me into its depths, I can feel my change coming. I can't change now, Hook can't find out about me. I can't see much, the white lights seem to have disappeared. I desperately try to pull myself back to the surface, but I can't without my back burning with pain. My lungs are about to explode. A sharp pain shoots through me, I have to bite my tongue to refrain from opening my mouth and letting the little air I have left escape. I ripped my stitches. I can faintly see blood seeping into the water around me, clouding my vision even further. An idea hits me then, the only way to save myself. I have to change and escape before they can find me.

I yank off my boots and pants, and pull off my bikini bottoms just as the change takes over. My tail appears in a flash, and with it comes my much needed ability to breathe under water. I inhale gulps of air, calming myself down. My back is aching and I'm still losing blood, I need to get out of the water fast.

I slowly try and turn myself away from the ship, but a warm yellow glow above catches my attention. I lightly propel myself up to the surface and towards the side of the ship, in an attempt to conceal myself in the shadows. Tilting my head up, I see Hook, flanked by Smee and Henry.

"-heard a scream," he continues, scanning the water with a worried expression on his face, "and a splash, I came out and she was gone."

"This isn't good. Her stitches could rip, and she'd lose a lot of blood. If she's down there, we have to find her, Captain." Henry responds, he seems distraught as well.

Hook is quiet for a moment, before thrusting his lantern into Smee's hands and removing his coat.

"C-Captain?" Smee stutters, not quite believing what he's seeing.

Hook takes off his boots, now he's left with his cotton shirt and black pants.

"Bloody hell. I can't believe I'm doing this." he mutters, before cleanly diving into the water, no more than five feet away from me.

Henry and Smee, stunned, stand at the edge of the ship, gazing at their captain ten feet below. I have to get away before he sees me! Frantically, I paddle away from the ship towards the beach. It's not too far away, thankfully we're still docked. I flick my tail to speed up my journey, pleasantly surprised at how quickly I can move. Painfully, I haul myself up onto the beach, keeping my tail away from the water.

It won't go away. I've never focused on making it go away before, and I'm realizing I don't know how. I concentrate hard, thinking about the feeling of having two legs instead of one tail. Focusing on the feeling of kicking my legs in a swimming pool, riding a horse, walking… Soon enough, that tingly sensation spreads through my legs, and before my eyes, my tail disappears. It morphs into legs, suddenly it's there, and then it's not. Just like that.

I quickly slip on my soaked bikini bottoms and pants, pulling on my squelching leather boots. I yank off my shirt and sash, dipping them into the water in an attempt to wash some of the blood away. I must be quite a sight: bleeding profusely, standing on the beach in a bikini top and pants. I scrub most of the blood away, it comes off surprisingly well in the salt water. I wring the clothes out before draping them over my arm. I hobble towards the forest, loaded down by my wet clothes and injuries. I can feel water and blood dripping down my back, but I can't tell them apart.

I make it to the tree line, with one last glance at Hook's ship. I can see the lantern Smee is holding bob along as he crosses the deck, and I can barely make out Hook's head in the water before he dives under again. He's still looking for me.

That thought sends an odd feeling through my heart, one I can't quite decipher. I shake my head and turn back towards the trees, hoping my journey doesn't take as long as I think it might. I pause and send a quick prayer to the island, hoping that I don't bleed out before I arrive at the trap door.

I'm moving at a steady pace, proud for not losing consciousness yet. It's nearly impossible to see, the thick canopy above hides the only light I have: the moon. I stumble along blindly through the forest, feeling around for any trace of the hideout.

A howl splits the air, silencing the crickets around me. The night abruptly goes quiet as chills creep up my spine. I quicken my pace, tripping over tree roots and rocks on the forest floor. Another howl echoes through the night, closer than before. Fear wells up in my chest. I have to get to safety. I can't be out here alone. Maybe it's the werewolves, coming back for more. A branch cracks a little ways to my right, I freeze and stare at the thick trees, waiting to see what may come out. No. I have to keep moving! My feet are rooted to the spot, I can't take a single step. Yet another branch snaps, seemingly right in front of me. My breathing quickens considerably, what's out there?

"Hello?" I call, my voice sounding weaker than I intend.

I clear my throat and stand up straighter, "Who's out there?"

The bushes rustle and a figure steps through, I flinch. My heart sinks; of all people, why this one?

"So we meet again." Aleksander chuckles, those haunting golden eyes staring right into my soul.

_**uh oh… what's gonna happen?! hello to my brand new follower, Neverland-Runaway! thanks for following and I'm glad you're liking it! I hope you enjoyed, if you did please review, favorite, and follow! ;P**_


	32. I Never Left

**I Never Left**

"You know," Aleksander says, cleaning his nails, "I almost considered leaving you alone."

I realize what he's scraping from beneath his nails. It's blood.

"But," he looks up and grins at me, "you're too much fun."

He sniffs the air, smelling the blood trickling down my bare back.

"You smell delicious," he murmurs, taking a step forward.

I take a step back, keeping the distance between us even.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"Ah," he pauses, cocking his head, "that's the thing. You don't have a whole lot of brains, do you?"

I say nothing, slowly backing away as he continues to advance.

"I want you."

The ground falls out beneath my feet and I tumble down into darkness with a surprised scream. I land on a familiar pile of soft pillows, the boys are on me in an instant.

"It's Sophie!"

"You're back!"

"She's bleeding!"

"I'm fine." I respond, but it seems I'm anything but.

I try to stand but fall right back down onto the pillows, a wave of nausea comes over me.

"Terrence!" Slightly calls.

Soon the boys take up his cry running into the different rooms and peering into the birdhouse looking object next to Peter's door. Speaking of, I notice his mop of chestnut hair on the couch, he's asleep.

I flop back against the pillows, feeling suddenly light headed. I'm still clutching my shirt and sash against my chest, trying to hold on to reality.

Nibs comes over to me then, with a roll of thread and a needle in his hand. An image of Henry with those same watery eyes flashes into my head.

"Here, I'll help you." he says.

I nod numbly, he rolls me over and undoes my bikini top. Quickly and deftly, he repairs my ripped stitches and cleans up the blood.

"It's funny how none of it got on your pants. I don't even have to wash them." he says softly.

"Mmmm." my mouth can't really form words, but I feel better already.

"All done!" he reties my top and rolls me back over.

"You can lay here until you feel better." he smiles at me and goes to get the boys to inform them that I'm okay.

Soon, Bunny enters the room. He runs over to me and jumps onto my pillows, curling up against me.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah." I respond, proud my mouth can at least form one word.

"I gave Peter the cure."

"I know." Two words. I give myself a mental pat on the back.

"He's getting better."

"That's great, Bunny." my words start to sound slurred. Maybe three is a breaking point.

"Are you okay?" he asks, that sweet voice sounding so worried. I don't want to let him down.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired."

"Oh. Well you should go to sleep, then."

I smile at his simple words, "I suppose I should."

A question pops into my head, "Who's Terrence?"  
>"He's Peter's friend," his voice drops to a whisper, his eyes sparkling, "he's a prince."<p>

"A prince, huh?" I say.

"Yep! A pixie prince. He lives in Pixie Hollow, but he also lives here." he points over to the birdhouse on the wall.

"Oh. Why was Slightly looking for him?"

"Because he could have healed you. He was here just a few minutes ago." Bunny responds.

Slightly walks out of the bedroom in light gray pajamas, "Come on Bunny, it's time for bed."

He notices me then, "Oh. I guess I should show you to your room."

"My room?"

Slightly crosses over to us, pulling me to my feet. I get a little dizzy, but I manage to push it away.

He pulls me over to the second bear pelt, to the left of Peter's room. He pulls it aside and we enter, it's just as big as Peter's, and just as sparsely decorated. There is a bear skin on the bed, and one on the floor. There is a small chest of drawers along one wall, a few empty shelves, and that's about it. But on the bright side, the bed looks massive and comfortable.

"Ta-da." Slightly says, "Do you like it?"

"It's perfect." I reply, not being able to tear my eyes from MY bed. My own bed. Not Hook's, not Peter's, mine.

I hear the pelt brush against the wall, and Bunny enters in deep green pajamas that are just a bit too big for him. He looks adorable. He comes forward and gives me a huge hug, tightening his arms around my thighs.

"Goodnight, Sophie." he says into my pants.

"Goodnight, Bunny." I say, ruffling his blond hair.

"Sleep good." he smiles up at me as he pulls away, his tired little eyes still managing to shine.

"You too."

Slightly smiles at me as he leads Bunny out of the room and to their sleeping quarters. I follow them into the main room, Slightly blows out the lanterns lining the walls, and Bunny extinguishes the lantern on the table. It looks almost as if it's a nightly routine. The room is dark, the only light left is from the dim firelight of the bedrooms. They call goodnight and shut their door behind them. I can barely make out Peter's sleeping form on the couch, I cross over to him and kneel beside him. He's breathing evenly, he doesn't look nearly as sick as he was when I left him. That seems like a lifetime ago, when I left the hideout dressed as a boy.

I reach forward and brush the hair out of his eyes, lightly tracing his jawline down to his lips. I pull my fingers away before I can touch them, though. There's something that seems to be stopping me.

He wakes up slowly, with a soft groan. He blinks a few times as he notices me.

"Sophie?" he whispers, awed.

"It's me." I whisper back.

"Where have you been?" he asks, taking in my new outfit.

"Nowhere." I mumble.

That conversation is for later, when he can fully function. He's still wrapped up in bandages, covering that nasty bite that I'm now pretty positive Aleksander gave him.

I move to stand, he extends a hand to me.

"Wha-" I start, but he yanks me onto the couch, into his chest.

He chuckles, "I'm glad you're back."

His face is so close I can feel his breath tickling my cheeks.

"I never left." I respond, burrowing into his chest for warmth. I don't even bother taking my boots off. He wraps his arms around me.

He's quiet for a moment, before he leans even closer in to my ear, "No one likes a liar."

"Oh?" I really don't want to talk about this right now. The clang of swords and the crack of the whip fills my ears as I think about how I've been spending my time these past few days.

"Except for me." he whispers softly.

I feel a bit of happiness blossom in my chest, filling me up to the tips of my fingers and toes. He pulls me closer still, I can hear his heartbeat. Steady and calming against my ear.

"Sleep well." he mumbles.

"You too." I respond, curling against him. I drift off into sleep, surrounded by Peter's warmth.

_**I just could not stop writing this chapter! maybe you should listen to their ship song to think about that ADORABLE moment? and a pixie prince?! hmm… thank you thank you thank you to my newest follower, Lavendor Queen! I really hope you liked it, please remember to review, favorite, and follow!**_


	33. the Golden Touch

**the Golden Touch**

Dawn illuminates the hideout, the day still young and quiet. No one is awake yet, except for me. But the growing light isn't what woke me up, it's Peter. I'm laying on top of him, in between his legs, and he's breathing heavily. Raising my head to look at him, his face is contorted in pain. He keeps softly moaning, it's his bite. I can tell.

I want to do something to ease his pain. Anything. I lightly reach out and touch his bandaged side, willing the pain to go away. In the blink of an eye, a soft golden glow leaves my fingertip and sinks into his bandages. It happens so quickly, I almost think it was my imagination.

But, Peter's labored breathing ceases immediately, his face looks serene as he slowly wakes up.

"Sophie?" his groggy voice mumbles.

"Y-yes?"

His face morphs into one of concern, "Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah. I'm fine."

I climb quickly off of his chest, my eyes not quite seeing straight. An awful headache comes on, I turn and bolt up the stairs.

"Sophie!" Peter calls after me.

I don't listen. I run. I burst through the trap door into daylight, the barely rising sun casting a purple glow on the forest. The jungle around me is unfamiliar, so I go to the nearest tree to collapse under. No sooner have I sat down to freak out, Peter bursts through the trapdoor, completely shirtless. His expression is panicked, but as soon as he sees me it turns into relief. As I expected, there is only a faint scar where that deep wound once was.

"How did…" my voice trails off, speechless. I can't tear my eyes away from his miraculously healed _werewolf_ bite.

I healed it.

But how?

He grins, "I don't know. It just happened overnight. Isn't it amazing? I feel great!"

I turn my face away from him, prepared to stand up and walk away again. He flies forward and grabs me by my arm as I stand, turning me towards him.

"Hey. What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" I shout.

He looks shocked by my sudden outburst.

"Nothing," I say again, softer, "I just need a minute. Please."

He looks distraught but consents, walking into the underbrush as if he knows exactly where he's going. I don't doubt that. Glancing back towards the trap door, I find that it's gone.

I sigh, there's no going back now.

I take a few deep breaths, running a hand through my hair. I healed him. With just a single touch from my finger tip, a massive wound healed in two seconds flat. I pull my hands away from my body and stare at them, they look normal.

I slump against the tree again, putting my head in my hands. What is wrong with me? Is it part of being a "half breed" as Kai so eloquently put it? I hear footsteps along the forest floor, I glance up to find Peter.

He offers me his hand, "Come on. I want to show you something."

I take his hand and allow him to pull me to my feet, he scoops me up and leaps into the air with some discomfort from my back. I can't tell him yet.

We soar up through the canopy of trees, and out into a beautiful summer day. The sky has brightened considerably with the rising sun, turning it a bright blue. As if on reflex, I glance towards the village in the cove. Sure enough, Hook's ship is still docked.

I turn my eyes away from his ship and back to the treetops soaring by beneath us. I need to put all of that behind me. Yet, I still get a feeling of butterflies in my stomach when I think of those deep blue eyes gazing into mine.

Peter distracts me by dipping towards the trees, my feet brush the tops as we descend back into the shady forest. We land and he sets me down, covering my eyes with his hand.

"What are you -"

"Just trust me." he says, his voice filled with anticipation.

He walks me forward, one hand in front of my eyes, and one on my lower back. The sound of roaring water fills my ears, he propels me onto a seemingly rocky surface that is leading upwards. The water gets louder, a flowery scent drifts through the air.

Suddenly, he removes his hand from my eyes and I'm momentarily blinded by the sun glinting off of the pure blue water beneath us.

I gasp. We're standing on a rocky ledge, almost like a natural diving board, over a pond full of crystalline water. Opposite us, a breathtaking waterfall tumbles from the cliffs above. It is surrounded by hundreds of different flowers, in a rainbow of colors. They smell delicious.

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" I exclaim, drinking in the sights and smells.

"I've seen things even more beautiful." Peter says behind me. He hasn't removed his hand from around my waist yet. The odd thing is, it doesn't really bother me.

"Oh? Like what?" I ask, turning to look up at him.

He smiles a mischievous smile, and presses a kiss to my cheek before diving into the water below.

My hand flies up to my cheek, which is now burning with his kiss. Was he talking about me? He resurfaces, shaking glistening water out of his hair. Something tells me he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Join me?" he calls from below.

On a normal day I would, but I don't think my back is in prime condition at the moment.

"I can't." I mumble.

"What?"

"I can't." I say, a little louder. My shaking voice betrays my calm demeanor. I don't want to tell him now. Not here. Not like this.

He cocks his head, "Why not?"

"I just can't." I cross my arms, folding in on myself. I knew I would have to tell him eventually. I just want to hold on to my secret for as long as I can. The way things are going, I won't be able to.

"Sophie." he says softly, flying up out of the water and landing in front of me, water dripping from his soaked clothing.

"What are you not telling me?" he asks.

Here we go.

"Please don't be upset." I whisper as I undo my sash.

_**ahhh cliff hanger poor sophie. I wonder how peter will react? so sorry for not being very active, I've been taking finals this week which is SUPER stressful, and I haven't gotten a lot of time to write! thank you for reading, please review, favorite, and follow! :)**_


	34. Apples and Cinnamon

**Apples and Cinnamon**

Peter grabs my chin and pulls it up to meet his gaze. He looks worried, but comforting. He'll accept what I have to say. It'll be okay. I drape my sash over my arm.

I take a deep breath, "When you were bitten, I went to Hook's ship to get the cure for you."

"What!" he exclaims, his hand dropping from my chin and balling into a fist, "Why would you leave the hideout when I explicitly told you-"

"_Peter_." I say firmly.

He stops talking abruptly, running a hand through his hair in exasperation, but allowing me to continue.

"I was caught," my voice cracks, "and they did this."

Am I seriously going to cry?

He looks like he wants to give me a hug but he restrains himself, giving me space. That spurs me on to continue.

I grasp the hem of my shirt and take another breath. The first tear slowly makes its way down my cheek. I pull it up over my head, and turn around.

He makes a strangled noise, but says nothing.

More tears slip down my cheeks, "It's bad, isn't it." I say, almost accusing him. I suppose I expected him to say it was okay, that it was only a few tiny cuts.

I can't take it anymore, I turn back around. Peter is more livid than I've ever seen him. He's cheeks are even turning a bit red. His eyes are flashing and his body is tense, as if he's about to get into a fight.

"When I get to him…" he mutters to himself.

"No, Peter," I say, trying to remain strong, "it wasn't Hook. He saved me."

"He _what_?"

"It's okay. I'm okay. I just can't swim with you right now. I'm sorry."

All of the tension drains from his shoulders, he pulls me in for a hug. I cringe as he brushes his arms over my stitches, I expect him to pull away, but he doesn't. I start to cry again.

"It's alright. You'll be fine. I promise. We'll come back and swim soon."

"Okay." I mumble.

He gently rocks back and forth until I calm down.

I can feel every inch of him against my ugly scars. I don't want him to see me like this. I pull away and wipe my eyes, and tug my shirt back over my head.

"Bunny doesn't know," I say softly, tying my sash around my waist, "please don't tell him."

"I won't," he smiles at me reassuringly, "Come on. We can do something else."

"Like what?"

"You'll see."

He scoops me into his arms and leaps into the air. I can tell he's just trying to take my mind off of things, but I'm grateful. We soar over the endless treetops, towards the end of the island.

Peter dips down towards a small bluff. He sets me down on the very edge of the cliffs, my legs dangling over the side. He flies over to a grove of apple trees, selecting the two biggest, juiciest ones he can find. He comes back to sit next to me, offering me an apple. I take it, and bite into it. Fresh, ripe, crisp, delicious. We eat in silence, staring at the sunrise coming up over the ocean. It's beautiful, casting light on all that was once dark. It turns everything a light shade of pink. Birds are calling in the jungle behind us.

"Thank you." I say.

He turns to me, "For what?"

"I don't know. I guess I just-"

Pain that feels like a punch to the stomach wells up inside of me, I cut myself off with a strangled gasp. The jungle suddenly falls eerily silent.

"Are you okay?" he asks, leaning forward.

I place a hand to my stomach, which feels like it's on fire.

"I'm-I'm fine." I reply.

Something that feels like hot breath puffs down the back of my neck, I turn to look behind me. Nothing is there. I scan the trees, I feel as if something is watching me.

"Sophie." Peter demands.

I turn my attention back to his worried expression, "Yes?"

"Are you okay?" he repeats slowly, as if talking to a two year old.

All of a sudden the pain and watchful gaze disappears, leaving me feeling cold and empty. The birds begin to call again, as if nothing ever happened.

"I'm fine." I respond, trying to predict when it will start up again, if at all.

"Let's go." he says.

I want to stay, but all of a sudden I'm feeling very tired.

"Okay."

He picks me up and jumps into the air. I can't help but hope he felt it too, but something tells me he didn't. What was that? We arrive at the hideout, we come through the chute just as the boys seems to be waking up.

"Boys, stay here for today. I have to go take care of something." Peter announces, setting me down on the floor.

They mumble their consent and he flies back up the chute without a backwards glance. That was weird.

I glance over at the boys, still in their pajamas, who are staring at me.

A thought pops into my head, "Why don't we make breakfast?"  
>They cheer and run into the kitchen area, I follow. They stand in a line and face me.<p>

"What are we gonna have?" Cubby asks.

"Hmmm." I glance around the room, noticing oats, cinnamon, apples, and other various food items.

I do make a mean apple cinnamon oatmeal…

"Oatmeal?" I offer.

The groan, but I smile.

"No, the good kind. Do you trust me?"

The boys nod resentfully, and I set to work.

"Slightly and Nibs," I say to the two most trustworthy, "will you please heat up the oats, cinnamon, and water outside?"

They nod as I hand them the ingredients, a spoon, and a pot. They exit the room and I hear them run up the stairs to start a little campfire outside.

"Twins."

"Yeah?" they say in unison.

"Will you please dice the apples?" I ask, handing them the burlap sack of apples.

"Sure!" they shout, grabbing the apples and some knives before heading out to the table with a cutting board.

"And you two," I turn to Cubby and Bunny, "please set the table."

Cubby groans but Bunny claps his hands with excitement, grabbing bowls and spoons from the shelf and running to the table.

In a matter of seconds the boys finish their tasks, we dump the apples into the pot outside and stir, I taste it. Perfect. Slightly and Nibs extinguish their fire as I pick up the pot, carrying it back down the stairs to the table. I ladle out bowls of the oatmeal to them, they take their spots at the table and dig in happily.

"I told you it would be good!"

They nod in agreement, but can't speak around their mouthfuls of oatmeal.

I get a bowl for myself as well, eating it alongside the little boys. All at once I'm hit with a sense of family. We all worked together to create our own meal. If only Peter was here.

They finish their bowls and rinse them in the sink, drying them and placing them back on the shelves.

We all assemble back in the living room. Again the boys stand at attention. It seems they are always waiting for me to give them instruction.

"Well, what do you guys want to do?"

They look a bit taken aback at suddenly being in charge.

"Play hide and seek!" Bunny shouts.

The boys all look at me with pleading expressions on their faces, "Please?" Cubby says.

I smile, "How is that even a question?"  
>"Peter hasn't let us play games outside these past few weeks." one twin says.<p>

"He always gets mad when we ask." the other finishes.

"Well, I don't see why we can't. Let's go."

We run up the stairs and into the mid-day sunlight, the air has a tinge of humidity to it.

"You're it!" Nibs tells me.

"Run!" Slightly shouts.

The boys scatter, crashing through the bushes and trees. In a matter of moments, I'm alone.

"One, two, three, four, five-"

The sharp, fiery pain explodes into my chest this time. I press my hands to my ribs, fighting the pain away. I can feel that unyielding gaze on my back, I whirl to see who is there. I'm sure there's something. The pain disappears a second later.

This is weird.

Suddenly, I'm all too aware that I'm alone.

Something grabs my arm, I let out a surprised shriek and whip towards my assailant. It's Peter, and he's mad.

"Inside," he growls, "now."

yay new chapter! thank you thank you thank you so so so much for 3,000 views! this means absolutely so much to me, I'm so glad you guys are liking and reading the story! just because I love you and I'm writing your Christmas present AT THIS VERY MOMENT, exciting plot twists are in store, so stay tuned... ;) as always, pretty please review, favorite, and follow!


	35. Blood, Sweat, and Tears

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

Peter sends boy after boy down the chute, I'm sitting on the couch. Something has him upset, and I can't begin to think of what it could be. Finally, the last boy, Cubby, comes tumbling down onto the pillows, followed by Peter. He looks angry, but he doesn't say a word as he strides to his room and doesn't look back.

Someone taps me on the shoulder, it's Nibs, "Can I check your stitches?"

"Sure." I respond, grateful for the distraction.

He leads me to my room and I take off my shirt and sash, laying face down on the soft pillows. Nibs undoes my bikini top, and gently prods my wounds.

"I think I might be able to take them out."

My throat goes dry, "Take them out?"

"Uh huh!" he says brightly, unaware of my complete and utter terror of being tended to by a ten year old.

"It shouldn't hurt," he says, "my grandpa taught me how to stitch, but he never taught me how to remove them…" he trails off.

"You'll be fine, though." he adds.

I do want these things out of my back, how bad could it hurt?

"Alright. Fine. How many?"

He pauses and counts my scars, "Nine."

I cringe, "Just get it over with."

"I'll be right back." he says, and runs out of the room.

I lay on my bed, slightly panicking. How bad will it hurt? How long will it take? Will he do it wrong?

Nibs enters the room again with a small knife, my anxiety level reaches a whole new height.

"We don't have scissors, so this will have to do."

"Okay." I squeak.

I feel a tugging sensation as he cuts the knot with the knife. Then he begins to pull. A line of pain arches up my back, I let out a gasp and press my face into the pillows to suppress a scream. Tears escape my eyes as he finishes tugging, and the pain disappears.

"That went well!" Nibs says.

Good God. If that's considered well then I don't want to know what bad is. He starts to lightly tug on the next one, cutting it with his knife. He pulls again, I fist the sheets in an attempt to keep myself under control. It hurts so bad! I start to sob, loud enough that he stops RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF PULLING IT OUT.

"Don't stop!" I shout louder than is necessary.

He hastily finishes, and I mentally prepare myself for the next one.

"I'm sorry it hurts," he says, "two down, seven to go!"

He pulls out three more, each seemingly more painful than the last. The aching of my back won't go away, and I've all but dehydrated myself with the amount of tears I'm shedding.

The bear pelt is smacked aside and a person enters the room.

"What's going on?" Peter demands, clearly still pissed at us for leaving the hideout.

"Nothing," I pant, "we're all fine here."

Even in pain, I can still be sarcastic.

I hear him sigh, "Clearly, you're not."

"Just go away!"

He falls silent, I bury my face in the tear-soaked sheets. Nibs starts on the sixth, cutting it with the knife. Here we go.

He starts to pull and I cry out, almost rolling away from him. That burning feeling is dragged along my scar as he tugs on the stitch. A wave of nausea crashes over my head, I feel dizzy and sick. Peter sits down on the side of the bed and pulls my head onto his lap. He starts to softly stroke my hair, grabbing my right hand. Nibs finishes with the sixth and moves to the seventh, trying to get this over with as fast as possible. He begins to pull again, I find myself squeezing Peter's hand tightly, concentrating my pain into his fingers. He takes it well, he just lets me cry and practically break his poor hand. Nibs then proceeds to pull on the eighth, this one is smaller and doesn't hurt nearly as much. He's done in a matter of seconds, and then he starts on the final stitch. This one also happens to be the biggest.

I steel myself against Peter, pushing my face into his leg and inhaling deeply.

"Here we go." Nibs murmurs, more to himself than to me or Peter.

He cuts the stitch, and starts to pull. My breathing all but stops, I find it hard to inhale or exhale. It's like that feeling I get when the wind has been knocked out of my lungs. Nibs pulls hard in an attempt to get it out quicker, but it only hurts more. Peter tries his best to comfort me. He strokes my arm and rubs my shoulders, murmuring soft things about how it's going to be okay. I can't even think anymore, the aching of my back seems to take over my thought process.

Nibs finally pulls it out and mutters something about going to get some antiseptic cream, and dashes from the room. The weight of those stitches seems to be taken off of my shoulders, I stop crying immediately. Now, I'm just trying to catch my breath.

"It's okay. You did great." Peter says from above me, still rubbing circles into my shoulder.

I don't even have the energy to respond.

Nibs comes back in and gets to work rubbing in his concoction; it burns a little at first, but with it comes soothing relief. He reties my bikini top, but doesn't bother with my shirt and sash. Instead, he folds them and places them at the foot of my bed.

Nibs pats me on the shoulder, "Feel better, Sophie. Get lots of rest. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"You didn't." I mumble, feeling groggy. He doesn't need to feel bad, he was helping.

He walks out of my room, leaving me and Peter alone.

Peter lays back against the headboard and soft pillows, pulling me up onto his chest. He smells delicious, like a summer day. Bright and comforting. He grabs the comforter and pulls it up around us, covering me in soft warmth. He softly kisses the top of my head, wrapping his arms around me.

"Go to sleep. I'll be here."

I sink into him, allowing sleep to grab me in its clutches and drag me into darkness.

**_this chapter made me hurt a little bit haha. kinda intense, huh? MERRY CHRISTMAS (or whatever holiday you celebrate)! this chapter is your Christmas present, I gave you some nice Sophie/Peter fluff… I hope you got lots of presents and got to spend time with all of your friends and family! I, for one, will be playing on my new iPhone 6 quite a bit. I seriously think I may have cried a little when I opened it… no one needs to know that though. ;P thank you so so so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! please remember to review, favorite, and follow, and happy holidays!_**


	36. Sweet Escape

**Sweet Escape**

The next few days are spent drifting in and out of consciousness. Nibs wakes me up to feed me some broth every once in a while, and Peter comes in to check on me. My back doesn't hurt very much at all anymore, I just feel so tired.

Finally, on the fourth day of my comatose state, I stay awake for a little longer than usual. Peter comes in for his daily visit and finds me awake. He looks really stressed and kind of pissed, but puts on a taut smile and comes to sit next to me.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Better." I reply. It's true.

"That's good."

"What about you?"

"I'm okay." he says, but I can tell he's lying.

"Peter, you can tell me."

He sighs, "It's Terrence. I'm having some troubles."

"Who's Terrence again?"

He rolls his eyes at me, as if I should know this already. He's definitely in a bad mood.

"He's the prince of the pixies, next in line for the throne. He's upset for some reason, and I don't know why. I went to Pixie Hollow to see where he disappeared to the other day, and his guard informed me he wasn't seeing any visitors. I don't know what's wrong."

A thought pops into my head, "What about Tinker Bell?"

He looks confused, "Tinker Bell?"

"You know, your best friend? She's a pixie too, and you guys go on tons of adventures all over Neverland."

"Where did you hear that?"

"I saw it in a movie." I mumble sheepishly.

He stands, "You do realize that not everything they say in the stories isn't true, right?"

I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks. Of course Tinker Bell doesn't exist.

"R-Right." I stutter.

He sighs and runs a hand through his tousled locks before walking out of the room. Wow. He's pissed.

A few minutes later, Nibs comes in to feed me my dinner of broth. He props me up against the pillows. I gulp it down, feeling better by the second. I think those few days of rest did me some good. My back feels like it's back to normal, except for the nasty scars I refuse to look at, and I'm feeling well rested. I'm just worried about Peter. He seems really upset.

I finish my bowl of broth and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, "Thank you, Nibs."

He smiles, those soft green eyes sparkling, and he exits. All of a sudden, it hits me why Nibs looks so familiar. He reminds me of Henry. Those watery eyes, the wise smile, the gentle hands. I wonder if they're related. How could that be possible? I set the thought aside. Too much deep thinking will give me a headache.

I lay awake until the sun sets and Bunny enters the room to light my lantern on the wall.

"Hi, Sophie."

"Hi, Bunny."

He crosses to the wall and lights a match, opening my lantern and setting the wick ablaze. He shuts the door and then comes to curl up beside me.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I am. I'm just a little tired."

"I heard you crying a few days ago, and Peter seemed really worried when he came back out of your room that night."

Peter was worried about me?

"I'm fine. I was just having a bad day."

There is no way in hell I'm telling him about my back. He doesn't need to know.

"Oh," he responds, quiet for a moment, "have a good sleep."

"You too, Bunny."

He pulls himself off of my bed and darts out of the room.

A feeling of claustrophobia comes over me, I feel like I want to get out of the hideout _right now_. Maybe I could help with the Terrence problem. Maybe I could go see Kai and Marina. Maybe I could find out if the mermaid queen really is my mom. Maybe I could see Hook again…

I lay in bed for another half hour until the hideout falls silent. The boys and Peter are asleep, that itching feeling of being too confined is crawling over my skin. I heave a sigh and haul myself out of the bed, surprised that my back isn't hurting as much as it probably should be. Maybe it has to do with the cream Nibs gave me. Or, didn't Henry say that I have some sort of "quick healing powers"? I think back to when I healed Peter with that single touch. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Too many for my taste. I want to know something is real. I don't want to have to guess.

I pull my shirt on and tie my sash, slipping on my leather boots. Grabbing my lantern from the wall, I slowly creep out of my room. The main room is deserted, and the lanterns have been extinguished. The boys and Peter must be asleep. I glance towards Peter's room, but I look away before I can think about anything else. Nope. No more maybes.

I climb the stairs and push open the trap door. The night is warm and humid, the crickets, cicadas, and other animals are forming their chorus of evening sounds. I take a deep breath and try to gather my bearings, knowing full well that I am most likely in some sort of remote part of the forest. Didn't Slightly say the hideout moves each night? I could be anywhere. But he also said that the longer you're on the island, the better developed your sense of direction becomes. I've been here for how long now? I try to count the days in my head. If I'm right, I've been here for thirteen days. Tomorrow will be my fourteenth, two weeks in Neverland.

I start walking in a direction I hope is right, pushing my way through the forest with one hand, and holding the lantern above my head. I can't see much with the dull light of the almost-gone candle, but it does help me approximately two seconds before I run face-first into a tree.

An odd feeling creeps up my spine, those watchful eyes. I can feel them on me, staring me down. The forest falls eerily quiet, just as it did on the bluff with Peter. Hot breath travels down my neck. The cracking of bushes and branches fills the air as something big crashes towards me. I turn and scan the trees behind me, but I can't see very far. The moon is being blocked by clouds tonight, making it very hard to see. Whatever was coming for me has stopped moving. Not more than three seconds later, the same crackling comes from behind me, in the original direction I was going in. I quickly turn away from both sides, and run. Some branches scratch my face as I go by, the light of my lantern seems to be dying by the second. My clumsy stumbling through the forest is louder than I intend, I briefly wonder where Aleksander is tonight. But I can feel that monstrous presence behind me still, coming closer and closer. I can't outrun it, as hard as I try. Panic makes a pit in my stomach.

The forest floor turns to sand beneath my feet, I've emerged onto the beach. The village is off to my right, only a few lights in the windows are still lit. The ocean is a few yards away, if I run fast enough I can get away. Hook's ship is still docked, but the portholes are dark. A part of me wants to run there, he'll keep me safe. Right?

Suddenly, that familiar pain explodes through me, flames lick up my insides. My knees buckle underneath me, I collapse onto the sand. I can't get away now. I curl in on myself, trying to staunch the fire. I squeeze my eyes shut tight. I start to sob uncontrollably, I can't control myself. A prickling sensation crawls up my arms and legs, I open my eyes to find that the sand has turned into many, tiny ants. They crawl up into my nose and mouth, making it hard to breathe. The night sky has turned bright orange with the fire consuming the forest behind me. The smoke and the ants fill my lungs, soon enough I lose consciousness.

_**oooooooooh we're about to meet the mysterious force! wonder what it is?! thank you for reading, please remember to review, favorite, and follow! ;P**_


End file.
